Electrically excited oxygen generator produces 30% transfer from O2 into O2(aΔ1) with 40% electrical efficiency

An electrically excited O2(aΔ1) generator packages a bundle of plasma containment tubes into a heat exchanger configuration. Chilled fluorinert circulates rapidly through the structure, and gases (O2, Ar, and He mix at 60–100Torr) flow transonically through the plasma tubes. An externally sustained, sub-breakdown discharge is ionized by means of applying overvolted [∼150Td(1Td=10−17Vcm2)] ∼10–30ns pulses at 50000pulses∕s. The plasma is preionized by UV radiation, iminating from a dielectric barrier discharge plasma. A dc electric field of E∕N=10Td conducts current longitudinally along the tubes. This process accomplishes: (1) O2(aΔ1) fractional extraction of 30%, (2) electrical excitation efficiency of 40%, (3) specific power loading up to 150kJ∕m O2, and (4) a minimal plasma temperature rise of <125°K. The O2(aΔ1) flow stream carries 2400W.