Method for cleaning contaminants from a body in space using a space charge neutral plasma
US5628831A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 3, 1995 |
| Grant date | May 13, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 3, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH05H1/46
- WIPO fieldChemical engineering
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
Contaminants are cleaned from the surface of a body in space by generating a substantially space-charge neutral reactive plasma, directing the plasma onto the contaminated surface at an energy below the surface sputtering energy (typically 20 eV), and reacting the plasma with the contaminants to remove them. A helicon wave plasma source is made light weight and compact enough for spacecraft use, with a plasma energy low enough to avoid damaging optical surfaces, by using permanent magnets to establish a static axial magnetic field, and a simple but novel rf antenna design. The antenna consists of a pair of spaced conductive rings which extend around the plasma tube, with conductive base and rf feed bars extending between the rings on diametrically opposite sides. The feed bar is interrupted to provide an rf input on opposite sides of the interruption. The antenna is preferably formed as an integral metal unit, with its rings rigidly supported by and integral with opposite ends of the base bar. The plasma source is also useful in neutralizing localized charges on the spacecraft.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.