A fine particle producing apparatus includes a reaction chamber extending vertically from the lower side to the upper side; a material supply device which is connected to a central part on one end side of the vertically lower side inside the reaction chamber and supplies a material particle into the reaction chamber of a vertically upper side from a material supply port; a first electrode arrangement region which protrudes in an inward radial direction to be disposed on an inner peripheral wall in the reaction chamber which is vertically above the material supply device, and includes a plurality of lower electrodes to which AC power is applied; a second electrode arrangement region which protrudes in an inward radial direction to be disposed on an inner peripheral wall in the reaction chamber which is vertically above the first electrode arrangement region, and includes a plurality of upper electrodes to which AC power is applied; a collector which is connected to the other end side in the reaction chamber of the vertically upper side so as to collect fine particles; a power source which is capable of changing a frequency of AC power applied to at least one of the lower electrode included in the first electrode arrangement region and the upper electrode included in the second electrode arrangement region; and a controller which sets the frequency of AC power applied to the lower electrode as a frequency equal to or higher than a frequency of AC power applied to the upper electrode, in which a fine particle is generated from the material particle by generating arc discharge by the lower electrode and the upper electrode, and generating plasma in the reaction chamber.

A device includes an insulated reaction chamber, light sources above a stirring module, the light sources surrounding the reaction chamber, and holders containing reaction vessels, the holders configured to fit within the insulated reaction chamber in a manner that enables an even distribution of light between the reaction vessels.

A nitric oxide generator generates nitric oxide from a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen such as air treated by a pulsating electrical discharge. The desired concentration of nitric oxide is obtained by controlling at least one of a frequency of the pulsating electrical discharge and duration of each electrical discharge pulse.

Provided are a method and apparatus capable of producing fine particles with favorable particle size distribution. In a production method in which feedstock for fine particle production is supplied intermittently into a modulated induction thermal plasma flame, the feedstock is vaporized to form a gas phase mixture, and the mixture is cooled to produce the fine particles: a modulated induction thermal plasma flame in which the temperature state is time-modulated is generated; the modulated induction thermal plasma flame is switched between a high temperature state and a low temperature state; and when the modulated induction thermal plasma flame is in the high temperature state, the feedstock is supplied together with a carrier gas, and when the modulated induction thermal plasma flame is in the low temperature state, supply of the feedstock is suspended and a gas of the same type as the carrier gas is supplied.

A microwave energy source that generates a microwave energy is disclosed. The microwave energy source has an on-state and an off-state. A control circuit is coupled to the microwave energy source and includes an output to generate a control signal that adjusts a pulse frequency of the microwave energy. A voltage generator applies a non-zero voltage to the microwave energy source during the off-state. A frequency and a duty cycle of the non-zero voltage is based on a frequency and a duty cycle of the control signal. A waveguide is coupled to the microwave energy source. The waveguide has a supply gas inlet that receives a supply gas, a reaction zone that generates a plasma, a process inlet that injects a raw material into the reaction zone, and an outlet that outputs a powder based on a mixture of the supply gas and the raw material within the plasma.

Systems, methods and devices for nitric oxide generation are provided for use with various ventilation and/or medical devices and having a humidity control system associated therewith. In some embodiments, a system for generating nitric oxide comprises at least one pair of electrodes configured to generate a product gas containing nitric oxide from a reactant gas, a scrubber configured to remove nitric dioxide NO.sub.2 from the product gas, and a humidity control device configured to alter a water content of at least one of the reactant gas and the product gas to control humidity within the system.

Methods, systems, and apparatuses for producing one or more of photon enhanced oxidizing agents, trioxygen, hydrogen and its ions, oxygen and its ions, ROS and electronically modified oxygen derivatives from oxidizing agents that are exposed to photon emissions at a wavelength in a range of 0.01 nm to 845 nm, wherein wavelengths that photo-dissociate trioxygen may be excluded. The methods, systems and apparatuses enhance the effectiveness of photo-oxidation, photocatalytic, and/or photochemical reactions or a combination of these reactions.

A reaction furnace for producing a polycrystalline silicon according to the present invention is designed so as to have an in-furnace reaction space in which a reaction space cross-sectional area ratio (S=[S.sub.0S.sub.R]/S.sub.R) satisfies 2.5 or more, which is defined by an inner cross-sectional area (So) of a reaction furnace, which is perpendicular to a straight body portion of the reaction furnace, and a total sum (S.sub.R) of cross-sectional areas of polycrystalline silicon rods that are grown by precipitation of polycrystalline silicon, in a case where a diameter of the polycrystalline silicon rod is 140 mm or more. Such a reaction furnace has a sufficient in-furnace reaction space even when the diameter of the polycrystalline silicon rod has been expanded, and accordingly an appropriate circulation of a gas in the reaction furnace is kept.

A reaction furnace for producing a polycrystalline silicon according to the present invention is designed so as to have an in-furnace reaction space in which a reaction space cross-sectional area ratio (S=[S.sub.0S.sub.R]/S.sub.R) satisfies 2.5 or more, which is defined by an inner cross-sectional area (So) of a reaction furnace, which is perpendicular to a straight body portion of the reaction furnace, and a total sum (S.sub.R) of cross-sectional areas of polycrystalline silicon rods that are grown by precipitation of polycrystalline silicon, in a case where a diameter of the polycrystalline silicon rod is 140 mm or more. Such a reaction furnace has a sufficient in-furnace reaction space even when the diameter of the polycrystalline silicon rod has been expanded, and accordingly an appropriate circulation of a gas in the reaction furnace is kept.

A production apparatus for manufacturing carbon nanohorn aggregates including fibrous carbon nanohorn aggregates includes a target holding unit holding a cylindrical carbon target containing Fe or another metal catalyst, a light source irradiating a laser beam on the surface of the carbon target, a production chamber configured to irradiate the carbon target with the laser beam in a non-oxidizing gas atmosphere to produce a product including the CNB, a collection mechanism collecting the product, a rotation mechanism rotating the carbon target, and a moving mechanism moving the carbon target in the axial direction thereof.