Apparatus for Effecting Silent Electrical Discharges.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Sept., 1897
•
Complete Specification Left, 24th June, 1898-Accepted, 3rd Sept., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Effecting Silent Electrical Discharges.
I, SIR FELIX LOUIS ORTT, of 18, Balistraat, The Hague, in the Kingdom of
Holland, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus for effecting silent electrical discharges.
In the various technical applications of silent electrical discharges obtained by
means of an electric current of high tension and of low intensity, notably in
electro-chemical processes such, for instance, as the molecular decomposition of
gases and vapours, it has hitherto been usual to employ either a dielectric or a
high resistance in order to avoid the formation of sparks or voltaic arcs.
The interposition of a dielectric and the employment of a high resistance have
the disadvantage of reducing the electric efficiency and therefore the economic
efficiency of an electrical installation by the loss of energy which they occasion,
the employment of the dielectric and the high resistance furthermore involving
costly installations.
Now, it is the object of my invention to obviate these disadvantages and to this
end I utilize the principle that by facilitating the flow of electricity it is possible
to reduce the difference of potential between the dischargers and therefore to
employ an electric current of as high intensity as possible without the difference
of potential causing formation of sparks or of a voltaic arc, the maximum electric
efficiency being obtained at the same time.
In carrying out my invention I employ dischargers so shaped that the flow is
effected with such facility that the tension between the dischargers is diminished
to the extent necessary to cause it to remain below the limit beyond which
sparking takes place even when the distance between the poles is reduced to the
minimum corresponding to the tension necessary to obtain silent discharge.
It is evident that the more the polar distance is diminished the more the resistance
in the circuit is reduced so that, all other conditions remaining the same, the
intensity of the current will increase as also will the efficiency of the apparatus.
A suitable form of discharge consists of a number of knife shaped blades
arranged opposite plates, the blades being connected to one pole and the plates to
the opposite pole of the source of current.
The shape of the blades is chosen so that the acute angle from which electricity
flows is exactly proportioned to the width, to the material from which the blades
are made and to the frequency of the alternating current.
The blades and the plates are of steel, copper, brass, aluminium or of any other
suitable metal.
It must be noted that this method of discharge can be applied to high tension
continuous currents as well as to alternating currents of any frequency and to
Hertz currents.

page_text: In the latter case the apparatus is furnished with a Leyden jar in shunt and
an air-gap in series. It is obvious that with this arrangement care must be taken
to provide harmony between the capacity, self induction, frequency, etc.
Dated the 29th day of September 1897.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
Apparatus for Effecting Silent Electrical Discharges.
I, SIR FELIX LOUIS ORTT, of 18, Balistraat, The Hague, in the Kingdom of
Holland, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to apparatus for effecting silent electrical discharges.
In the various technical applications of silent electrical discharges obtained by
means of an electric current of high tension and of low intensity, notably in
electro-chemical processes such, for instance, as the molecular decomposition of
gases and vapours, it has hitherto been usual to employ either a dielectric or a
high resistance in order to avoid the formation of sparks or voltaic arcs.
The reason for using such complicated arrangements was that dischargers
fitted with points against points, which is the simplest form of apparatus for
effecting silent discharges, always caused difficulties: the shape of the dischargers
(points against points) resulted in the production of a flow spread in the middle of
the polar distance, so that it was necessary to increase the distance between points
of the same polarity of such an apparatus in order to avoid their reciprocal
disturbance.
On the other hand, as the pointed shape of the dischargers favoured the pro-
duction of sparks or voltaic arcs, the polar distance had also to be increased or
the tension to be kept lower and, as a result, the economic efficiency was reduced.
Now, my invention has for its object to facilitate the flow of electricity, as in
the case with apparatuses fitted with points against points, and furthermore to
reduce the polar distance to a minimum, the resistance diminishing simultaneously
so as to allow the use of very high tension currents and to reduce to a minimum
the risks of sparking or of production of voltaic arcs.
My invention consists essentially in the combination in an apparatus for effect-
ing silent discharges, of knife edged dischargers forming one pole of the
apparatus, with one or more even plates forming the second pole and arranged
opposite the said dischargers without the interposition of a fixed dielectric.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figures 1 and 2 represent diagrammatically a vertical section and a plan view
of an apparatus constructed according to my invention:
Figures 3 and 4 illustrate the difference existing between the spreading of the
flow obtained with my improved apparatus and that obtained with an apparatus
fitted with points working against points:
Figure 5 is a modification of the knife edged dischargers shown in Figures 1
and 2; and
Figure 6 is a diagram of connections which can be advantageously used when
employing very high tension transformers.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2 the knife edged dischargers a, a effect the flow
of electricity against the plates b, b. All the blades of the knife-edged dischargers
are connected in parallel with one pole of a transformer and all the plates bare

page_text: similarly connected to the other pole.
The air, to be ozonized for instance,
enters from the end e and escapes on the other end s.
The dischargers and the plates are of steel, copper, brass, aluminium or any
other suitable metal.
It is to be noted that this apparatus can be applied to high tension continuous
currents as well as to alternating currents of any frequency and to Hertz currents.
In this latter case the apparatus is furnished with a Leyden jar in shunt and an
air-gap in series. It is obvious that with this arrangement care must be taken
to provide harmony between the capacity, self-induction, frequency, etc.
As shewn in Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawing, the spread of the
flow with my arrangement does not take place between two rods or stems 9, 9
so as to have the maximum divergence in the middle of the polar distance, but
on the contrary, the maximum divergence is at the base against the smooth plate b
(Figure 4).
It will be obvious that the polar distance between the plate b and the knife
edged dischargers a may be less in amount than that which must exist between
the points g (Figure 3); the idle space is consequently reduced to a minimum,
the resistance is considerably reduced and the economic efficiency is increased
without fear of sparking which is not encouraged as is the case with the old form
of apparatus.
Although the dischargers hereinbefore described are specified as being of the
shape of knife-edged blades, it will be obvious that the same results may be
obtained with dischargers formed with a number of points arranged close to
each other in a suitable support has shewn in Figure 5. In this case, the flow
of electricity is facilitated by the pointed and toothed edge of the discharger which
works advantageously against the plate.
As hereinbefore explained my improved apparatus has mainly for its object to
reduce the risks of sparking or of production of voltaic arcs; although this result
is completely obtained by my invention as above described it is advisable, when
using very high tension transformers, to provide the apparatus with a condenser R
in shunt as illustrated in Figure 6, the said condenser destroying the self induction
of the transformer and co-operating efficaciously to avoid the production of voltaic
arcs.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is-
1. Apparatus for effecting silent electrical discharges wherein the flow of the
electric current is facilitated by a number of dischargers arranged opposite even
plates without the interposition of a fixed dielectric, for the purpose of reducing
the resistance and the prejudicial space and of enabling very high tension currents
to be employed without the liability of sparking or of the formation of voltaic arcs,
substantially as herein before described.
2. In an apparatus for effecting silent electrical discharges, in combination,
one or more knife-edged dischargers forming one pole of the apparatus and one
or more even plates forming the second pole of the apparatus, the said dischargers
working against the said plates, substantially as described, and for the purpose
set forth.
3. In an apparatus for effecting silent electrical discharges one or more dis-
chargers working against smooth plates, the said dischargers being in the shape
of knife-edged blades formed with an acute angle for facilitating the flow of
electricity, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.
or
4. In an apparatus for effecting silent electrical discharges, in combination one
more dischargers each formed with a suitable support fitted with points
arranged closely to each other, and one or more even plates against which the said
dischargers work, substantially as described.
5. In combination one or more dischargers connected to one pole of a high

page_text: tension transformer, one or more even plates against which the said dischargers
work, the said plates being connected to the second pole of the said high tension
transformer, and a condenser in shunt, substantially as described and for the
purpose set forth.
.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.