Patent ID: 8568663

Claim:
A system comprising: a glow discharge cell comprising: an electrically conductive cylindrical vessel having a first end and a closed second end, an inlet proximate to the first end, and an outlet centered in the closed second end, a hollow electrode aligned with a longitudinal axis of the electrically conductive cylindrical vessel and extending at least from the first end into the electrically conductive cylindrical vessel, wherein the hollow electrode has an inlet and an outlet, a first insulator that seals the first end of the electrically conductive cylindrical vessel around the hollow electrode and maintains a substantially equidistant gap between the electrically conductive cylindrical vessel and the hollow electrode, and a non-conductive granular material disposed within the substantially equidistant gap, wherein the non-conductive granular material allows an electrically conductive fluid to flow between the electrically conductive cylindrical vessel and the hollow electrode, and the combination of the non-conductive granular material and the electrically conductive fluid prevents electrical arcing between the cylindrical vessel and the hollow electrode during an electric glow discharge; and a plasma arc torch comprising: a cylindrical vessel having a first end and a second end, a tangential inlet connected to or proximate to the first end, wherein the tangential inlet is connected to the outlet of the electrically conductive vessel of the glow discharge cell, a tangential outlet connected to or proximate to the second end, an electrode housing connected to the first end of the cylindrical vessel such that a first electrode is (a) aligned with a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical vessel, and (b) extends into the cylindrical vessel, a hollow electrode nozzle connected to the second end of the cylindrical vessel such that the center line of the hollow electrode nozzle is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical vessel, and wherein the tangential inlet and the tangential outlet create a vortex within the cylindrical vessel, and the first electrode and the hollow electrode nozzle create a plasma that discharges through the hollow electrode nozzle.