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Self-balancing, corona discharge for the stable production of electrically balanced and ultra-clean ionized gas streams is disclosed. This result is achieved by promoting the electronic conversion of free electrons into negative ions without adding oxygen or another electronegative gas to the gas st

Self-balancing, corona discharge for the stable production of electrically balanced and ultra-clean ionized gas streams is disclosed. This result is achieved by promoting the electronic conversion of free electrons into negative ions without adding oxygen or another electronegative gas to the gas stream. The invention may be used with electronegative and/or electropositive or noble gas streams and may include the use of a closed loop corona discharge control system.

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1. A gas ionization apparatus for converting a non-ionized gas stream that defines a downstream direction into an ionized gas stream, the apparatus comprising: means for receiving the non-ionized gas stream and for delivering the ionized gas stream to the target;means for producing charge carriers i

1. A gas ionization apparatus for converting a non-ionized gas stream that defines a downstream direction into an ionized gas stream, the apparatus comprising: means for receiving the non-ionized gas stream and for delivering the ionized gas stream to the target;means for producing charge carriers in the non-ionized gas stream in response to the provision of an ionizing signal having a cycle T with positive and negative portions, wherein the charge carriers comprise clouds of electrons, positive ions and negative ions that convert the non- ionized gas stream into the ionized gas stream, and wherein the electron cloud is produced during a time Tnc of the negative portion of the ionizing signal;a non-ionizing reference electrode, that is insulated from the ionized gas stream by a dielectric material, for monitoring the charge carriers in the ionized gas stream, at least a portion of the reference electrode being located downstream of the means for producing charge carriers by a distance L, and the time Tnc being less than or equal to a time Te that it takes the electron cloud produced during the time Tnc to move downstream by the distance L; andmeans, responsive to the reference electrode, for controlling the ionizing signal. 2. The gas ionization apparatus of claim 1 wherein the non-ionized gas stream is an electropositive gas stream;the electrons in the electron cloud produced by during the time Tnc have a mobility μ;an electric field, of average field strength Ed, exists between the ionizing electrode and the reference electrode during the time Tnc; andthe time Te is less than or equal to L/(Edx(-μ)). 3. The gas ionization apparatus of claim 2 wherein the dielectric material has a relaxation time of at least about 100 seconds and time Tnc is less than or equal to one tenth (1/10) of cycle T. 4. The gas ionization apparatus of claim 1 wherein the non-ionized gas stream comprises a gas selected from the group consisting of an electropositive gas, an electronegative gas, a noble gas, and a mixture of electropositive electronegative and noble gases;the means for receiving a non-ionized gas stream comprises a through channel having a wall, at least a portion of which is made of an insulating dielectric material; andthe reference electrode is positioned outside of the insulated portion of the wall such that the wall insulates the reference electrode from the ionized gas stream. 5. The gas ionization apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for producing charge carriers comprises at least one ionizing electrode, and the apparatus further comprises an ionizing power supply that is capacitively coupled to the means for controlling and the at least one ionizing electrode whereby the concentration of charge carriers in the ionized gas stream is at least substantially balanced. 6. The gas ionization apparatus of claim 5 wherein the means for controlling is communicatively coupled to the reference electrode and the power supply and comprises a high pass filter with a cutoff frequency of at least 1 megaHertz. 7. The gas ionization apparatus of claim 6 wherein the power supply provides an ionizing signal to the ionizing electrode that varies in amplitude between about 0 and about 20 kiloVolts and varies in frequency between about 10 kiloHertz and about 100 kiloHertz in response to the means for controlling. 8. The gas ionization apparatus of claim 6 wherein the power supply provides an ionizing signal to the ionizing electrode that varies in duty factor between about 1 percent and about 100 percent and varies in repetition rate between about 0.1 Hertz and about 1000 Hertz in response to the means for controlling. 9. The gas ionization apparatus of claim 6 wherein the apparatus further comprises means for monitoring the flow rate of the ionized gas stream; the means for controlling is responsive to the means for monitoring the flow rate; andthe power supply provides to the ionizing electrode an ionizing signal with a varying duty factor that varies in response to the means for controlling. 10. The gas ionization apparatus of claim 6 wherein the ionizing signal has a: frequency that is between about 0.05 kiloHertz and about 200 kiloHertz;duty cycle that is between about one percent or equal to about 100 percent;pulse repetition rate that is between about 0.1 and 1000 Hz and voltage magnitude that is between about 1000 Volts and 20 kiloVolts; andthe non-ionized gas stream is an electropositive gas stream with a flow rate that is between about 5 liters per minute and about 150 liters per minute. 11. A gas ionization apparatus for delivering an ionized gas stream to a charge neutralization target, the apparatus receiving a non-ionized gas stream that defines a downstream direction and comprising: at least one through-channel for receiving the non-ionized gas stream and for delivering the ionized gas stream to the target;a non-conductive shell disposed within the through-channel and having an orifice disposed at one end thereof;at least one ionizing electrode for producing charge carriers within the non-conductive shell in response to the provision of an ionizing signal having a cycle T with positive and negative portions, wherein the charge carriers comprise clouds of electrons, positive ions and negative ions that enter the non-ionized gas stream through the shell orifice to form the ionized gas stream;a power supply for providing the ionizing signal to the ionizing electrode, wherein the electron cloud is produced by the ionizing electrode during a time Tnc of the negative portion of the ionizing signal;at least one non-ionizing reference electrode that is electrically insulated from the ionized gas stream and positioned downstream of the ionizing electrode, the reference electrode producing a monitor signal responsive to the charge carriers within the ionized gas stream, wherein the electron cloud produced by the ionizing electrode oscillates between the ionizing electrode and the reference electrode whereby the electrons are converted into negative ions; anda control system communicatively coupled to the power supply and to the reference electrode to control the ionizing signal provided to the ionizing electrode, at least in part, responsive to the monitor signal. 12. The gas ionization apparatus of claim 11 wherein the electron cloud produced during time Tnc moves downstream toward the reference electrode, the time Tnc is less than or equal to a time Te that it takes the electron cloud to move from the ionizing electrode to the reference electrode, and the reference electrode is insulated from the ionized gas stream by a dielectric material with a relaxation time of at least about 100 seconds. 13. The gas ionization apparatus of claim 11 wherein the power supply comprises a radio frequency, ionizing power supply that is capacitively coupled to the ionizing electrode whereby the concentration of negative and positive ions in the ionized gas stream delivered to the target is at least substantially balanced. 14. The gas ionization apparatus of claim 11 wherein the non-ionized gas stream comprises a gas selected from the group consisting of an electropositive gas, an electronegative gas, a noble gas, and a mixture of electropositive electronegative and noble gases;the control system is communicatively coupled to the reference electrode; andthe power supply and comprises a high pass filter with a cutoff frequency of at least 1 megaHertz. 15. The gas ionization apparatus of claim 11 wherein the power supply provides an ionizing signal to the ionizing electrode that varies in amplitude between about 0 and about 20 kiloVolts and varies in frequency between about 50 Hertz and about 200 kiloHertz at least in part responsive to the monitor signal. 16. The gas ionization apparatus of claim 11 wherein the power supply provides an ionizing signal to the ionizing electrode that varies in duty factor between about 1 percent and about 100 percent and varies in repetition rate between about 0.1 Hertz and about 1000 Hertz at least in part responsive to the monitor signal. 17. The gas ionization apparatus of claim 11 wherein the apparatus further comprises means for monitoring the flow rate of the non-ionized gas stream;the control system is responsive to the means for monitoring the flow rate; andthe power supply provides the ionizing electrode with an ionizing signal having a duty factor that varies in response to the monitored flow rate. 18. The gas ionization apparatus of claim 11 wherein the ionizing signal has a frequency that is between about 0.05 kiloHertz and about 200 kiloHertz;a duty cycle that is between about one percent and about 100 percent;a pulse repetition rate that is between about 1 and 1000 Hz; anda voltage magnitude that is between about 1000 Volts and 20 kiloVolts; andthe non-ionized gas stream is an electropositive gas stream with a flow rate that is between about 5 liters per minute and about 150 liters per minute. 19. The gas ionization apparatus of claim 11 wherein the ionization signal has an operating magnitude, and the control system adjusts the operating magnitude of ionizing signal to compensate for changes in conditions such as gas composition, gas flow and temperature. 20. The gas ionization apparatus of claim 11 wherein the electrons in the electron cloud produced during the time Tnc have a mobility μ;an electric field, of average field strength Ed, exists between the ionizing electrode and the reference electrode during the time Tnc; andthe time Te is less than or equal to L/(Edx(-μ)). 21. A method of producing a self-balancing ionized gas stream flowing in a downstream direction, comprising: establishing a non-ionized gas stream flowing in the downstream direction, the non-ionized gas stream having a pressure and a flow rate;producing charge carriers within a non-conductive shell protected from the non-ionized gas stream, the charge carriers comprising clouds of electrons, positive ions and negative ions;introducing the charge carriers into the non-ionized gas stream to thereby form an ionized gas stream having a pressure and a flow rate and flowing in the downstream direction;converting the electrons of the electron cloud into negative ions within an ion drift region to thereby produce an ionized gas stream having a substantially electrically balanced concentration of positive and negative ions;monitoring the balanced ionized gas stream; andcontrolling the production of charge carriers, at least in part, responsive to the step of monitoring. 22. The method of claim 21 wherein the step of monitoring the balanced ionized gas stream further comprises monitoring the charge carriers of the ionized gas stream; andthe step of producing comprises applying a radio frequency ionizing signal within the non- ionized gas stream having a cycle T with positive and negative portions, the electron cloud being produced during a time Tnc of the negative portion of the ionizing signal and the time Tnc being less than or equal to one tenth (1/10) of cycle T. 23. The method of claim 22 wherein the radio frequency ionizing signal varies in amplitude between about 0 and about 20 kiloVolts and varies in frequency between about 50 Hertz and about 200 kiloHertz. 24. The method of claim 22 wherein the radio frequency ionizing signal varies in duty factor between about 0.1 percent and about 100 percent and varies in repetition rate between about 0.1 Hertz and about 1000 Hertz. 25. The method of claim 21 wherein the step of monitoring the ionized gas stream further comprises monitoring the flow rate of the ionized gas stream; andthe step of producing further comprises applying a radio frequency ionizing signal within the non-ionized gas stream to thereby produce charge carriers through corona discharge, the ionizing signal varying in duty factor in response to the monitored flow rate. 26. The method of claim 21 wherein the step of producing further comprises applying a radio frequency ionizing signal within the non-ionized gas stream to thereby produce charge carriers through corona discharge, the ionizing signal having a frequency between about 5 kiloHertz and about 50 kiloHertz;a pulse repetition rate between about 0.1Hz and 1000Hz; anda magnitude between about 1.0kiloVolts and 20 kiloVolts; andthe ionized gas stream being an electropositive gas stream with a flow rate that is between about 5 liters per minute and about 150 liters per minute. 27. A method of converting a cloud of free electrons into negative ions within a corona discharge ionizer of the type having a through channel with a gas stream flowing therethrough, at least one ionizing electrode at least partially disposed within the gas stream and at least one reference electrode downstream of the ionizing electrode by a distance L, the method comprising: applying an ionizing signal, having a cycle T with positive and negative portions, to the ionizing electrode to thereby produce the electron cloud in the non-ionized gas stream during a time Tnc of the negative portion of the ionizing signal, wherein the electron cloud moves downstream toward the reference electrode and wherein the time Tnc is less than or equal to a time Te that it takes the electron cloud to move distance L from the ionizing electrode to the reference electrode. 28. The method of claim 27, wherein the gas stream comprises a gas selected from the group consisting of an electropositive gas, an electronegative gas, a noble gas, and a mixture of electropositive electronegative and noble gases; andthe step of applying comprises applying a radio-frequency ionizing signal with a frequency of between about 5 kiloHertz and about 100 kiloHertz. 29. The method of claim 27, further comprising: detecting the negative corona onset voltage of the gas stream;maintaining the amplitude of the ionizing signal of the step of applying generally equal to the detected the negative corona onset voltage; andinducing the electron cloud produced by the ionizing electrode to oscillate between the ionizing electrode and reference electrode. 30. A method of controlling corona discharge within an ionizer of the type having a through channel with a non-ionized gas stream flowing therethrough and an electrode producing charge carriers within the non-ionized gas stream in response to the application of an ionizing signal to thereby form an ionized gas stream, the method comprising: a learning mode comprising: detecting a negative corona onset voltage of the ionizer by applying to the electrode a signal having an amplitude that increases from a non-ionizing level at least until the electrode produces negative charge carriers;repeating the step of detecting multiple times to thereby detect a range of negative corona onset voltages; andcalculating a representative onset voltage based on the range of negative corona onset voltages; andan operating mode comprising applying an ionizing signal to the ionizing electrode, the ionizing signal having an amplitude that is proportional to the representative onset voltage. 31. The method of controlling corona discharge of claim 30 wherein the step of applying an ionizing signal further comprises maintaining the amplitude of the signal at a level that is at least substantially equal to the representative onset voltage. 32. The method of controlling corona discharge of claim 30 further comprising comparing the representative onset voltage with a predetermined voltage to thereby determine the condition of the ionizing electrode. 33. The method of controlling corona discharge of claim 30 wherein the signal applied to the ionizing electrode during the step of detecting increases in amplitude at a first ramp rate up to a first voltage magnitude and increases at a second ramp rate above the first magnitude;the first ramp rate is greater than the second ramp rate; andthe first magnitude is below the representative onset voltage. 34. The method of controlling corona discharge of claim 31 wherein the step of applying further comprises reducing the amplitude of the signal to a quiescent level that is lower than the representative onset voltage.