RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to Taiwanese Application Serial Number 109108820 filed Mar. 17, 2020, which is herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to plasma systems and methods of mixing plasma and water mist.

Description of Related Art

At present, it is known that the use of atmospheric pressure cold plasma bundles is very wide. In practice, the atmospheric cold plasma beam can be used in different fields such as medical application, beauty, sterilization and various industries. Taking medical applications as an example, the atmospheric cold plasma beam can further be used for rapid hemostasis medical equipment, acute wound infection treatment medical equipment, chronic wound infection treatment medical equipment, cancer treatment equipment, sterilization equipment, surface cleaning and modification equipment, etc.

Technically speaking, one of the factors which affect the utilizing effect of the atmospheric cold plasma bundle is the content of the hydroxyl radicals in the atmospheric cold plasma bundle. In general, the higher the content of hydroxyl radicals in the atmospheric cold plasma bundle, the better the utilizing effect of the atmospheric cold plasma bundle can be. Therefore, how to effectively increase the content of hydroxyl radicals in the atmospheric cold plasma bundle is undoubtedly an important development direction of the industry.

SUMMARY

A technical aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a plasma system, which can increase the mixing effect of the water mist and the plasma. Thus, the plasma after mixing with the water mist can contain more hydroxyl radicals.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a plasma system includes a low-temperature atmospheric-pressure plasma source and a water-mist supplying source. The low-temperature atmospheric-pressure plasma source has a nozzle. The nozzle is configured to eject a plasma. The water-mist supplying source is configured to deliver a water mist to the plasma ejected from the nozzle.

In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the plasma system further includes a mixer. The mixer is connected to the low-temperature atmospheric-pressure plasma source at least partially along a straight direction. The mixer has a chamber. The chamber is communicated with the nozzle. The nozzle is configured to eject the plasma along the straight direction. The water-mist supplying source is connected with the mixer and configured to deliver the water mist to the chamber.

In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the mixer includes a top plate, a base plate, a side wall and at least one connecting tube. The top plate has a first opening. The nozzle at least partially penetrates through the first opening. The base plate has a second opening. The second opening aligns with the first opening along the straight direction. The chamber communicates between the first opening and the second opening. The side wall is connected between the top plate and the base plate. An inner wall surface of the side wall surrounds and defines the chamber. A projection of the inner wall surface is of a circular shape along the straight direction. The side wall has at least one third opening. The third opening has an extension direction as projected along the straight direction. The extension direction is deviated from a center surrounded by the projection of the inner wall surface along the straight direction. The connecting tube is disposed outside the side wall and aligned with the third opening. The connecting tube extends along the extension direction and is configured to connect with the water-mist supplying source.

In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the mixer includes a plate body, at least one connecting tube and a hollow conical body. The plate body has a fourth opening and at least one fifth opening. The nozzle at least partially penetrates through the fourth opening. The fifth opening has an extension direction. A projection of the extension direction along the straight direction is deviated from the fourth opening. The connecting tube is disposed on the plate body and aligned with the fifth opening. The connecting tube extends along the extension direction and is configured to connect with the water-mist supplying source. The hollow conical body is connected with a side of the plate body away from the connecting tube. An inner wall surface of the hollow conical body defines the chamber. A projection of the inner wall surface is at least partially of a circular shape along the straight direction. An end of the hollow conical body away from the connecting tube defines a sixth opening. The sixth opening aligns with the fourth opening along the straight direction. A center surrounded by the projection of the inner wall surface along the straight direction is located between the fourth opening and the sixth opening. The chamber gradually decreases towards the sixth opening.

In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the extension direction is inclined to the plate body.

In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the plasma system further includes a first working gas supplying source. The first working gas supplying source is connected with the low-temperature atmospheric-pressure plasma source. The first working gas supplying source is configured to supply a first working gas to the low-temperature atmospheric-pressure plasma source for the low-temperature atmospheric-pressure plasma source to produce the plasma.

In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the first working gas is argon, helium, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen or air.

In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a range of a flow rate of the first working gas is between 1 standard liter per minute and 30 standard liter per minute.

In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the plasma system further includes a second working gas supplying source. The second working gas supplying source is connected with the water-mist supplying source. The second working gas supplying source is configured to supply a second working gas to drive the water mist.

In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a range of a flow rate of the second working gas is between 0 standard liter per minute and 30 standard liter per minute.

In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a range of a flow rate of the water mist is between 1 milligram per standard liter per minute and 300 milligram per standard liter per minute.

Another technical aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a method of mixing plasma and water mist, which can increase the mixing effect of the water mist and the plasma. Thus, the plasma after mixing with the water mist can contain more hydroxyl radicals.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of mixing plasma and water mist includes converting a first working gas to a plasma by a low-temperature atmospheric-pressure plasma source and ejecting the plasma towards an ejection zone of the low-temperature atmospheric-pressure plasma source; and mixing the plasma ejected with a water mist at the ejection zone.

In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the procedure of mixing the plasma ejected with the water mist includes injecting the water mist into a chamber; ejecting the plasma towards the chamber along a straight direction; and ejecting a mixture of the plasma and the water mist out of the chamber along the straight direction after mixing of the plasma and the water mist inside the chamber.

In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the procedure of injecting the water mist includes ejecting the water mist inside the chamber in a direction deviated from a center of the chamber on a projection at least partially along the straight direction. The procedure of ejecting the plasma towards the chamber includes ejecting the plasma towards the center of the chamber.

In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a range of a flow rate of the water mist is between 1 milligram per standard liter per minute and 300 milligram per standard liter per minute.

In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the procedure of injecting the water mist includes driving the water mist to the chamber by a second working gas.

In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a range of a flow rate of the second working gas is between 0 standard liter per minute and 30 standard liter per minute.

In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, the first working gas is argon, helium, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen or air.

In one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a range of a flow rate of the first working gas is between 1 standard liter per minute and 30 standard liter per minute.

When compared with the prior art, the above-mentioned embodiments of the present disclosure have at least the following advantages:

(1) Since the extension direction of the connecting tube and the third opening is deviated from the center surrounded by the projection of the inner wall surface of the side wall along the straight direction, when the water mist passes through the connecting tube and the third opening to enter into the chamber of the mixer, the water mist will form a vortex inside the chamber of the mixer, facilitating the mixing with the plasma.

(2) Since the plasma ejected can pass through a center of the vortex formed by the water mist, a more effective mixing with the water mist can be carried out. Thus, the plasma after mixing can contain more hydroxyl radicals.

(3) Under the condition that the range of the flow rate of the water mist is between 1 milligram per standard liter per minute and 300 milligram per standard liter per minute, the water mist will not weaken the strength of the plasma nor even extinguish the plasma. Moreover, the water droplets of the water mist can reach a suitable size. To be specific, the particle size of the water droplets of the water mist will not be too small. Thus, the water droplets of the water mist are uneasy to be evaporated to disappear. On the contrary, the particle size of the water droplets of the water mist will not be too big. Thus, the mixing effect with the plasma will not be affected as a result of an increase in the overall surface area of the water mist.

