Improvement in ozone yield using discharge superposition method

The efficiency of ozonizers using silent discharge is very low compared with the theoretical value. Although many studies have attempted to improve the efficiency of ozonizers, we cannot expect to do so without changing the process of ozone generation. In this study, two high voltages are applied to an ozonizer which has three electrodes (central, surface, and outer electrodes) arranged coaxially, and the phase difference between applied voltages can be changed. The silent and surface discharges are superposed in the same space of the ozonizer. This paper considers the optimum experimental conditions leading to improved efficiency of an ozonizer using the discharge superposition method. It is found that when two kinds of discharges are superposed while using the central electrode as a common‐ground electrode, the maximum ozone yield efficiency is obtained, especially at a phase difference of about 180°. However, when using the surface electrode as a common‐ground electrode, the ozone efficiency is higher at phase differences of about 90° or 270° than at other angles. © 1998 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 126(1): 1–6, 1999     

Generation and control of electrolyte cathode atmospheric glow discharge using miniature gas flow

Stable electrolyte cathode atmospheric DC glow microdischarges were generated by using a miniature helium gas flow from a nozzle electrode in air. We developed two schemes to control the temporal evolution of the discharge and the interaction between the discharge column and the ambient air. The vaporization of electrolyte solutions takes place and affects the discharge characteristics. This takes time from the start of the discharge. Therefore, the discharge was controlled by applying pulse‐modulated DC voltages. If the voltage was dropped down to zero before the vaporization, the gas discharge developed without the ionization of the solution components. A helium gas discharge without air developed when the nozzle electrode was placed in a glass capillary. This was confirmed by examining the change in pH of the solution, which usually decreased owing to the generation of nitrogen oxides in the discharge in air. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 178(4): 8–15, 2012; Published online in Wiley Online Library ( wileyonlinelibrary.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.21222     

Influences of gas density depletion on high‐pressure,pulsed‐glow discharge

High‐pressure, pulsed glow discharge has been studied for the excitation discharge in TEA gas lasers. Various instabilities occur in the subsequent discharge, which induce the arc and collapse for the highly repetitive operation. In this paper, the influences of the gas density depletion on the high‐pressure, pulsed glow discharge have been investigated, eliminating the other instabilities such as shock waves, residual ions, discharge products, and electrode heating. The gas density depletion was produced by utilizing a subsonic flow between the curved electrodes. The comparison has been made on the discharge occurring in the presence of the gas density depletion with that by the double‐pulse experiment in a stable gas. The big gas density nonuniformity tends to cause the arc without the shocks, ions, discharge products, and electrode heating. The transition from glow to arc discharge discontinuously occurs with respect to the gas density depletion. On the other hand, the second discharge in the double‐pulse experiment becomes an arc in much smaller gas density nonuniformity, and the transition from glow to arc occurs gradually. The arc discharge might be driven by some factors other than the gas density depletion. © 2000 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 130(4): 9–16, 2000     

Characteristics of discharge induced by laser-generated plasmas in atmospheric air

The possibility of laser-induced lightning has been investigated for the future application in the protection of electric power systems from lightning strokes. This technique induces lightning strokes artificially along a laser-produced breakdown plasma channel and conducts them to a harmless place on the ground. To clarify the plasma formation mechanism and the discharge (sparkover) induction process, sparkover induction experiments are performed for two types of long-gap electrode configurations, plate-to-rod and plate-to-plate, with a 50-J TEA CO₂ laser. In the present paper, the sparkover voltage characteristics and interferometric measurement on laser-produced plasma mainly are described, together with sparkover induction for a series of metal beads arranged equidistantly which simulate a plasma channel.     

Formation of a negative impulse discharge induced by an XeCl excimer laser in a long rod‐to‐rod electrode gap in air

Negative discharge induction experiments were performed with a rod‐to‐rod electrode configuration having a gap length of 0.8 m using a high‐power XeCl excimer laser of maximum output energy of 2 J/pulse and an impulse generator of maximum voltage of 1.2 MV. Development of a leader in the laser‐ionized plasma channel was observed by using an image converter camera. When an XeCl excimer laser is applied at a carefully controlled instant, the guiding effect for an impulse discharge is optimized. Three main results were obtained. First, the discharge started near the focal point and then developed bidirectionally toward the high‐voltage electrode and the grounded electrode. Midgap leaders were frequently observed. Second, it was observed that the lifetime of the laser‐ionized plasma channel was about 1 μs. Third, the discharge processes were classified into six stages. The mechanism of the streamer and leader propagation is discussed. © 2000 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 134(2): 11–18, 2001     

A novel method of suppressing the inrush current of transformers by using a series‐connected voltage‐source PWM converter

This paper proposes a novel method of suppressing the inrush current of transformers. A small‐rated voltage‐source PWM converter is connected in series to the transformers through a matching transformer. As the connected PWM converter serves as a resistor for the source current, no inrush phenomena occurs. The required rating of the PWM converter, which serves as the damping resistor for the inrush phenomena, is 1/400 that of the main transformers in single‐phase circuits. In three‐phase circuits, it is 1/900. The basic principle of the proposed method is discussed. Digital computer simulation is implemented to confirm the validity and excellent practicability of the proposed method using the PSCAD/EMTDC. A prototype experimental model is constructed and tested. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can perfectly suppress the inrush phenomena. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 157(4): 56–65, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20174