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GAS-FILLED TUBES You know that great effort is made to produce a perfect vacuum within electron tubes. But, even the best vacuum pumps and getters cannot remove all of the air molecules. However, the chances of an electron hitting a molecule in a near-vacuum are very slim because of the great distance between the molecules, compared to the size of the electron. An electron can pass between two molecules of air inside the tube as easily as a pea could pass through a circle with a diameter equal to that of the earth! In some tubes, the air is removed and replaced with an inert gas at a reduced pressure. The gases used include mercury vapor, neon, argon, and nitrogen. Gas-filled tubes, as they are called, have certain electrical characteristics that are advantageous in some circuits. They are capable of carrying much more current than high-vacuum tubes, and they tend to maintain a constant IR drop across their terminals within a limited range of currents. The principle of operation of the gas-filled tube involves the process called ionization. ELECTRICAL CONDUCTION IN GAS DIODES An operating gas-filled tube has molecules, ions, and free electrons present within the envelope. In a gas-filled diode, the electron stream from the hot cathode encounters gas molecules on its way to the plate. When an electron collides with a gas molecule, the energy transmitted by the collision may cause the molecule to release an electron. This second electron then may join the original stream of electrons and is capable of freeing other electrons. This process, which is cumulative, is a form of ionization. The free electrons, greatly increased in quantity by ionization, continue to the plate of the diode. The molecule which has lost an electron is called an ion and bears a positive charge. The positive ions drift toward the negative cathode and during their journey attract additional electrons from the cathode. The velocity of the electrons traveling toward the plate varies directly with the plate voltage. If the plate voltage is very low, the gas-filled diode acts almost like an ordinary diode except that the electron stream is slowed to a certain extent by the gas molecules. These slower-moving electrons do not have enough energy to cause ionization when they hit the gas atoms. After the plate voltage is raised to the proper level of conduction, the electrons have enough energy to cause ionization when they hit the gas molecules. The plate potential at which ionization occurs is known as the IONIZATION POINT, or FIRING POTENTIAL, of a gas tube. If the plate voltage is reduced after ionization, it can be allowed to go several volts below the firing potential before ionization (and hence, high-plate current) win cease. The value of the plate voltage (Ep) at which ionization stops is called the DEIONIZATION POTENTIAL, or EXTINCTION POTENTIAL. The firing point is always at a higher plate potential than the deionization point. The point at which the gas ionizes can be controlled more accurately by inserting a grid into the gas diode. A negative voltage on the grid can prevent electrons from going to the plate, even when the plate voltage is above the normal firing point. If the negative-grid voltage is reduced to a point where a few electrons are allowed through the grid, ionization takes place. The grid immediately loses control, because the positive ions gather about the grid wires and neutralize the grid's negative charge. The gas triode then acts as a diode. If the grid is made much more negative in an effort to control the plate current, the only effect is that more ions collect about the grid wires - tube continues to conduct as a diode. Only by removing the plate potential or reducing it to the point where the electrons do not have enough energy to produce ionization will tube conduction and the production of positive ions stop. Only after the production of positive ions is stopped will the grid be able to regain control. Such gas-filled triodes are known as THYRATRONS. Thyratrons are used in circuits where current flow in the thyratron's output circuit is possible only when a certain amount of voltage is present on the thyratron's grid. The flow of plate current persists even after the initiating grid voltage is no longer present at the grid, and it can be stopped only by removing or lowering the plate potential. The symbols for the gas-filled diode, the voltage regulator, and the thyratron are the same as those for high-vacuum tubes except that a dot is placed within the envelope circle to signify the presence of gas. Some examples of gas-filled tube schematic symbols are shown in figure 2-15. Figure 2-15. - Schematic diagram of gas-filled tubes.
Before leaving this section, you should be aware of one precaution associated with mercury-vapor tubes. The mercury vapor is not placed in the tube as a vapor; instead a small amount of liquid mercury is placed in the tube before it is sealed. When the liquid mercury comes in contact with the hot filament, the mercury vaporizes. To ensure that the mercury has vaporized sufficiently, the filament voltage must be applied to mercury-vapor tubes for at least 30 seconds before the plate voltage is applied. If vaporization is incomplete, only partial ionization is possible. Under these conditions, the application of plate voltage results in a relatively high voltage drop across the tube (remember E = I X R), and the positive ions present are accelerated to a high velocity in the direction of the cathode. As the ions strike the cathode, they tear away particles of the emitting surface, usually causing permanent damage to the cathode and the tube. When the mercury is completely vaporized, the action of the gas is such that the voltage drop across the tube can never rise above the ionization potential (about 15 volts). At this low potential, positive-ion bombardment of the cathode does not result in damage to the emitting surface. Generally, when gas-filled tubes are in the state of ionization, they are illuminated internally by a soft, blue glow. This glow is brightest in the space between the electrodes and of lesser intensity throughout the remainder of the tube envelope. This glow is normal and must not be confused with the glow present in high-vacuum tubes when gases are present. A high-vacuum tube with a bluish glow is gassy and should be replaced. The ionization of these gases will distort the output of the tube and may cause the tube to operate with much higher plate current than it can carry safely. COLD-CATHODE TUBES The cold-cathode, gas-filled tube differs from the other types of gas-filled tubes in that it lacks filaments. Thus, its name "COLD-CATHODE TUBE." In the tubes covered in this text thus far, thermionic emission was used to send electrons from the cathode to the plate. This conduction of electrons can be caused in another manner. If the potential between the plate and the cathode is raised to the point where tube resistance is overcome, current will flow from the cathode whether it is heated or not. In most applications in electronics, this method is not used because it is not as efficient as thermionic emission. There are two applications where cold-cathode emission is used. The first application you are already familiar with, although you may not be aware of it. Every time you look at a neon sign you are watching a cold-cathode tube in operation. Thus, the first application of cold-cathode tubes is for visual display. You are also familiar with the reason for this visual display. In the NEETS module on matter and energy, we explained that when energy is fed into an atom (neon in this case), electrons are moved, or promoted, to higher orbits. When they fall back, they release the energy that originally lifted them to their higher orbits. The energy is in the form of light. Cold-cathode tubes are also used as VOLTAGE REGULATORS. Because voltage regulators will be dealt with extensively in the next chapter, we will not cover their operation now. At this point, you only need to understand that a cold-cathode tube has the ability to maintain a constant voltage drop across the tube despite changes of current flow through the tube. The tube does this by changing resistance as current flow varies. Examine figure 2-16. Here you see a cold-cathode tube connected to a variable voltage source. The variable resistor rkp does not exist as a physical component, but is used to represent the resistance between the cathode and the plate. Most cold-cathode tubes have a firing point (ionizing voltage) at about 115 volts. Thus, the tube in view A of the figure is below the firing point. Because the tube lacks thermionic emission capabilities, no current will flow and the tube will have a resistance (rkp) near infinity. The potential difference between the plate and ground under these conditions will be equal to the source (Ebb) voltage, as shown on the voltmeter. Figure 2-16. - Cold-cathode tube operation.
In view B, the source voltage has been raised to the firing point of 115 volts. This causes the gas to ionize and 5 milliamperes of current will flow through the tube. Because the tube represents a resistance (rkp), voltage will be dropped across the tube; in this case, 105 volts. The plate-load resistor (RL) will drop the remaining 10 volts. The resistance of the tube at this time will be equal to:
In view C, the source voltage has been raised to 200 volts. This will cause more gas in the tube to ionize and 40 milliamperes of current to flow through the tube. The increased ionization will lower the resistance of the tube (rkp). Thus, the tube will still drop 105 volts. The tube's resistance (rkp) at this time will be equal to:
As you can see, increasing the current flow will cause more ionization in the tube and a corresponding decrease in the tube's resistance. Because of this, the tube will always have a constant voltage drop between its plate and cathode throughout its operating range. Q.10 What are two advantages that gas-filled tubes have over conventional electron
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