Patent ID: 8031824

Claim:
A plasma generation system comprising a shock coil having an annular disc shaped body bounded by an outer ring formed about an outer periphery of the body and an annular hub formed about an inner periphery of the body and a coil of parallel wound wires attached to a face of the body, and a Laval nozzle for introducing gas to the shock coil, the nozzle comprising an annular disc-shaped nozzle body coupled about an inner periphery of the nozzle body to the hub and forming with the hub about an outer periphery of the nozzle body a radially oriented annular nozzle outlet positioned adjacent the inner periphery of the body of the shock coil, wherein the nozzle is oriented to radially discharge a gas across the surface of the coil from the inner toward the outer periphery of the body of the shock coil, wherein when a gas is discharged across the surface of the coil and the coil is energized an annular plasma is ejected from the surface of the coil.