SBIR Phase I: Development of a New High Intensity Pulsed Light Source System

本小企业创新研究一期项目是对高电流脉冲操作下电极材料的侵蚀性能进行研究。这项研究将允许新的脉冲灯延长寿命，使其经济实用。这种新的灯可以成为紫外线（UV）水处理的行业标准，并实现新的光解油漆剥离工艺。用于脉冲功率电极的材料被配制用于低峰值电流下的连续或交流电流。在脉冲高电流下，初步研究表明，这些材料通过晶粒生长降解，导致晶界处形成空隙。研究目的是更好地了解材料性能如何影响晶粒生长和侵蚀，并显示增强和开发低侵蚀电极材料的可行性。拟议的研究将加强对经历重复高电流脉冲循环的电极材料的降解和侵蚀的科学理解。此外，新的电极材料将扩大脉冲功率的使用，并提供一种替代钍钨，这是禁止在欧洲，因为它的放射性。主要目标是实现具有许多应用的新的商业脉冲灯。这种灯是汞灯的潜在替代品，可以消除汞的使用和公众的汞暴露。该灯还将实现商业光解油漆去除，取代劳动密集型的化学和研磨技术，产生灰尘和碎片，并产生有毒副产品。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project is to conduct research on the erosion properties of electrode materials under high-current pulsed operation. This research will allow extended lifetime for a new pulsed lamp, making it economically practical. The new lamp can become the industry standard for Ultra-Violet (UV) water treatment and enable a new photolytic paint stripping process. Materials used for pulsed power electrodes were formulated for continuous or alternating current at low peak current. Under pulsed high current, preliminary research shows that these materials degrade through grain growth, leading to void formation at the grain boundary. The research objective is to develop a better understanding of how material properties affect grain growth and erosion, and show the feasibility of enhancing and developing low erosion electrode materials.The proposed research will enhance scientific understanding of the degradation and erosion of electrode materials that undergo repeated high-current pulsed cycling. Also, new electrode materials will enable the expanded use of pulsed power and provide an alternative to thoriated tungsten, which is banned in Europe because of its radioactivity. The primary goal is to enable a new commercial pulsed lamp with many applications. The lamp is a potential replacement for mercury lamps, which would eliminate mercury use and exposure of the public. The lamp also will enable commercial photolytic paint removal, replacing chemical and abrasive techniques that are labor intensive, create dust and debris, and generate toxic byproducts.