Patent ID: 8420021

Claim:
An ignition or plasma generation apparatus for using a combination of an electrical discharge and energy derived from electromagnetic waves to initiate a combustion reaction, a chemical reaction, or a plasma reaction in a reaction region where the combustion reaction, the chemical reaction, or the plasma reaction takes place in a heat engine or a plasma equipment, the ignition or plasma generation apparatus comprising: a mixer mixing energy for an electrical discharge and energy from electromagnetic waves generated by an electromagnetic wave generator; and a plug into which an output from the mixer is supplied, the plug used for introducing an output to a reaction region; wherein the output supplied from the mixer to the plug includes the energy from electromagnetic waves and the energy for the electrical discharge superimposed on each other and supplied on a same transmission line, wherein the energy for electrical discharge is a pulse voltage, and the mixer includes: a first input section for receiving an input of the energy from electromagnetic waves; a second input section for receiving an input of the pulse voltage; and an output section connected to the second input section; and wherein the first input section is electrically coupled to the output section by a magnetic field coupling and an electrical field coupling, wherein the mixer includes a dielectric substrate, the second input section is disposed on one surface of the dielectric substrate, each of the first input section and the output section is disposed on the other surface of the dielectric substrate, and the electrical field coupling derives from the capacitance of a capacitor comprising a conductive pattern disposed in an opposing manner on respective surfaces of the dielectric substrate.