Influence of non-uniform electric field distribution on the atmospheric pressure air dielectric barrier discharge

The dielectric barrier discharge(DBD) in air at atmospheric pressure is not suitable for industrial applications due to its randomly distributed discharge filaments. In this paper, the influence of the electric field distribution on the uniformity of DBD is theoretically analyzed and experimentally verified. It is found that a certain degree of uneven electric field distributions can control the development of electron avalanches and regulate their transition to streamers in the gap. The discharge phenomena and electrical characteristics prove that an enhanced Townsend discharge can be formed in atmospheric-pressure air with a curved-plate electrode. The spectral analysis further confirms that the gas temperature of the plasma produced by the curved-plate electrode is close to room temperature, which is beneficial for industrial applications. This paper presents the relationship between the electron avalanche transition and the formation of a uniform DBD, which can provide some references for the development and applications of the DBD in the future.     

Measurement of the first Townsend's ionization coefficient for atmospheric pressure neon by a dielectric barrier discharge

Fast photography and optical emission spectroscopy are implemented in a 5 mm neon gap dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) at atmospheric pressure with quartz glass used as the dielectric layer. Results show that it starts with a Townsend discharge and ends at a sub-normal glow discharge in neon DBD. Based on the Townsend discharge, the first ionization coefficient of neon is measured. The measurements are consistent with those at low pressure. Optical emission spectroscopy indicates that the spectra are mainly composed of atomic lines of neon, molecular bands and molecular ion bands originating from inevitable gas impurities (mainly nitrogen). Moreover, spectral lines emitted from atomic neon corresponding to the transitions (2p⁵ 3p → 2p⁵ 3s) are predominant. Although the second positive system of N₂(C³Π_u → B³Π_g) is observed, their intensities are too weak compared with neon's spectrum. The molecular nitrogen ion line of 391.4 nm is observed. It reveals that Penning ionization between high energy neon excited states and the inevitable gas impurities plays an important role in the value of the α coefficient.     

Methane conversion using a dielectric barrier discharge reactor at atmospheric pressure for hydrogen production

In the present paper,we carried out a theoretical study of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) filled with pure methane gas.The homogeneous discharge model used in this work includes a plasma chemistry unit,an electrical circuit,and the Boltzmann equation.The model was applied to the case of a sinusoidal voltage at a period frequency of 50 kHz and under a gas pressure of 600 Torr.We investigated the temporal variation of electrical and kinetic discharge parameters such as plasma and dielectric voltages,the discharge current density,electric field,deposited power density,and the species concentration.We also checked the physical model validity by comparing its results with experimental work.According to the results discussed herein,the dielectric capacitance is the parameter that has the greatest effect on the methane conversion and H2/CH4 ratio.This work enriches the knowledge for the improvement of DBD for CH4 conversion and hydrogen production.     

Generation of reactive species in atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge with liquid water

Atmospheric pressure helium/water dielectric barrier discharge(DBD) plasma is used to investigate the generation of reactive species in a gas–liquid interface and in a liquid. The emission intensity of the reactive species is measured by optical emission spectroscopy(OES)with different discharge powers at the gas–liquid interface. Spectrophotometry is used to analyze the reactive species induced by the plasma in the liquid. The concentration of OH radicals reaches 2.2 μm after 3 min of discharge treatment. In addition, the concentration of primary longlived reactive species such as H_2O_2, NO_3~- and O_3 are measured based on plasma treatment time.After 5 min of discharge treatment, the concentration of H_2O_2, NO_3~-, and O_3 increased from 0 mg?·?L~(-1) to 96 mg?·?L~(-1), 19.5 mg?·?L~(-1), and 3.5 mg?·?L~(-1), respectively. The water treated by plasma still contained a considerable concentration of reactive species after 6 h of storage. The results will contribute to optimizing the DBD plasma system for biological decontamination.     

Research on the characteristics of atmospheric air dielectric barrier discharge under different square wave pulse polarities

Energy efficiency limits the application of atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge(DBD),such as air purification,water treatment and material surface modification.This article focuses on the electrical and optical effects of the DBD under three square wave pulses polarities-positive,negative and bipolar.The result shows that under the same voltage with the quartz glass medium,the discharge efficiency of bipolar polarity pulse is the highest due to the influence of deposited charge.With the increase of air gap distance from 0.5 to 1.5 mm,average power consumed by the discharge air gap and discharge efficiency decrease obviously under alumina,and increase,and then decrease under quartz glass and polymethyl methacrylate(PMMA).Through spectrum diagnosis,in the quartz glass medium,the vibration temperature is the highest under negative polarity pulse excitation.Under bipolar pulse,the vibration temperature does not change significantly with the change of air gap distance.For the three dielectric materials of quartz glass,alumina and PMMA,the molecular vibration temperature is the highest under the quartz glass medium with the same voltage.When the gap spacing,pulse polarity or dielectric material are changed,the rotational temperature does not change significantly.     

Influences of frequency on nitrogen fixation of dielectric barrier discharge in air

The influences of frequency on nitrogen fixation of dielectric barrier discharge in air were studied by electrical diagnostics, gas detection and infrared detection methods. The system power, nitrogen oxide concentration, voltage–current waveform, dielectric surface temperature distribution and filamentous discharge pictures were measured, and then the energy yield was calculated; paper studied their changing tendencies in the presence of frequency. Results show that frequency has strong influences on nitrogen fixation. When the parameters of reaction chamber and amplitude of applied voltage is fixed, with the increasing of frequency, the system power increases; in 5-10 kHz, nitrogen oxide gas concentration up to 1113.7 mg m~(-3), and 7 k Hz is the optimal nitrogen fixation frequency whose energy yield is 20.5 mg(m~3 W)~(-1).     

Effects of nitrogen on ozone synthesis in packed-bed dielectric barrier discharge

The effects of nitrogen on ozone synthesis are studied in a coaxial cylinder generator with dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) and pack-bed dielectric barrier discharge (PB-DBD). A series of 10 h discharge experiments are conducted adopting a bare stainless electrode and bare copper electrode. Results show that the material of the electrode can affect the ozone synthesis. It is inferred that the ozone zero phenomenon (OZP) may be induced from ozone decomposing by metallic oxide catalysis. Packing dielectric particles can reduce the OZP. Adding a certain amount of nitrogen into the oxygen feed gas can further eliminate the OZP, and increase the ozone concentration significantly, but decreases the maximum energy efficiency of ozone generators. Initial analysis indicates that the optimal proportion of nitrogen addition is inversely related to the average reduced electric field strength in the discharge region.     

Investigation on discharge characteristics of a coaxial dielectric barrier discharge reactor driven by AC and ns power sources

A coaxial dielectric barrier discharge(DBD) reactor with double layer dielectric barriers has been developed for exhaust gas treatment and excited either by AC power or nanosecond(ns)pulse to generate atmospheric pressure plasma. The comparative study on the discharge characteristics of the discharge uniformity, power deposition, energy efficiency, and operation temperature between AC and ns pulsed coaxial DBD is carried out in terms of optical and electrical characteristics and operation temperature for optimizing the coaxial DBD reactor performance. The voltages across the air gap and dielectric layer and the conduction and displacement currents are extracted from the applied voltages and measured currents of AC and ns pulsed coaxial DBDs for the calculation of the power depositions and energy efficiencies through an equivalent electrical model. The discharge uniformity and operating temperature of the coaxial DBD reactor are monitored and analyzed by optical images and infrared camera. A heat conduction model is used to calculate the temperature of the internal quartz tube. It is found that the ns pulsed coaxial DBD has a much higher instantaneous power deposition in plasma, a lower total power consumption, and a higher energy efficiency compared with that excited by AC power and is more homogeneous and stable. The temperature of the outside wall of the AC and ns pulse excited coaxial DBD reaches 158 ℃ and 64.3 ℃ after 900 s operation, respectively.The experimental results on the comparison of the discharge characteristics of coaxial DBDs excited by different powers are significant for understanding of the mechanism of DBDs,reducing energy loss, and optimizing the performance of coaxial DBD in industrial applications.     

Research on quinoline degradation in drinking water by a large volume strong ionization dielectric barrier discharge reaction system

Quinoline is widely used in the production of drugs as a highly effective insecticide, and its derivatives can also be used to produce dyes. It has a teratogenic carcinogen to wildlife and humans once entering into the aquatic environment. In this study, the degradation mechanism of quinoline in drinking water by a strong ionization dielectric barrier discharge(DBD) lowtemperature plasma with large volume was explored. High concentration of hydroxyl radical(·OH)(0.74 mmol l-1) and ozone(O3)(58.2 mg l-1) produced by strongly ionized discharge DBD system were quantitatively analyzed based on the results of electron spin resonance and O3 measurements. The influencing reaction conditions of input voltages, initial p H value, ·OH inhibitors, initial concentration and inorganic ions on the removal efficiency of quinoline were systematically studied. The obtained results showed that the removal efficiency and TOC removal of quinoline achieved 94.8% and 32.2%, degradation kinetic constant was 0.050 min-1 at 3.8 k V and in a neutral p H(7.2). The proposed pathways of quinoline were suggested based on identified intermediates as hydroxy pyridine, fumaric acid, oxalic acid, and other small molecular acids by high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry analysis. Moreover, the toxicity analysis on the intermediates demonstrated that its acute toxicity, bioaccumulation factor and mutagenicity were reduced. The overall findings provided theoretical and experimental basis for the application of a high capacity strong ionization DBD water treatment system in the removal of quinoline from drinking water.     

Electrical features of radio-frequency atmospheric pressure helium discharge with and without dielectric electrodes

A comparative study of radio-frequency atmospheric pressure glow discharge(rf APGD)generated in helium with and without dielectric electrodes to investigate the effect of electrodes insulation on electrical features of APGD is presented. In the α mode, both the rf APGDs remain volumetric, stable and uniform. In the γ mode, the APGD without dielectric electrodes shrinks into a constricted plasma column whereas APGD with dielectric electrodes remains stable and retains the same volume without plasma constriction even at higher densities of discharge current. A comparison of electrical features of both rf APGDs in normal and abnormal glow discharge regimes is presented. In both APGDs with and without dielectric electrodes,impedance measurements have been performed and compared with equivalent circuit models.The measured impedance data is found to be in good agreement with simulated data.     

Effect of insulating oil covering electrodes on the characteristics of a dielectric barrier discharge

In this study, the effects of the fluid cooling and electric field line deformation were investigatedin a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma source. The DBD plasma jet is improved bycovering the ground electrode and a power electrode with insulating oil. We obtained positiveresults as insulating oil prevents arc formation, while it improved the supplied power and plasmajet length, and increased radical production. Radical production of this nonthermal plasma jet isstudied with polyvinyl alcohol–potassium iodide liquid.     

Multiple current peaks and spatial characteristics of atmospheric helium dielectric barrier discharges with repetitive unipolar narrow pulse excitation

Atmospheric dielectric barrier discharges driven by repetitive unipolar narrow pulse excitation are investigated numerically by using one-dimensional fluid models.The one-dimensional simulation focuses on the effects of applied voltage amplitude,pulse repetition frequency,gap width and γ coefficient on the multiple-current-pulse (MCP) discharge.The results indicate that the MCP behavior will lead to the stratification of electron density distribution in axial direction.Traditional MCP manipulating methods,such as reducing the applied voltage amplitude,increasing the applied voltage frequency,adjusting the gap width,cannot regulate MCPs exhibiting in this work.Further analyses reveal that the increasing electric field of the cathode fall region is the basis for the emergence of MCP behavior.     

Simulated and experimental studies on the array dielectric barrier discharge of water electrodes

A kind of dielectric barrier discharge(DBD) device composed of water electrodes with 3×3forms can produce large-area low-temperature plasmas at atmospheric pressure.To reflect the discharge characteristics of DBD better,a dynamic simulation model,which is based on the voltage controlled current source(CCS),is established,then the established model in Matlab/Simulink is used to simulate the DBD in air.The voltage-current waves and Lissajous at a voltage of 10 kV,11 kV and 12 kV peak value with a frequency of 15 kHz are studied.The change of the discharge power of DBD with a different amplitude and frequency of applied voltage is also analyzed.The result shows the voltage-current waves,Lissajous and discharge power of DBD under different conditions from the simulation agree well with those of the experiment.In addition,we propose a method to calculate the dielectric barrier capacitance C_d and the gap capacitance C_g,which is valid through analyzing the variation of capacitance at different voltage amplitudes.     

Development of a battery-operated floating-electrode dielectric barrier discharge plasma device and its characteristics

In this work, a portable floating-electrode dielectric barrier discharge(FE-DBD) device is designed with a rechargeable battery as the power supply. The characteristics of the FE-DBD with a metal electrode and human hand are studied and compared. The human contact safety is verified by calculating the current through the human body based on the equivalent circuit model. Escherichia coli inactivation experiments confirm the efficacy of the FE-DBD device in the envisaged applications.     

Generation of atmospheric pressure diffuse dielectric barrier discharge based on multiple potentials in air

In order to achieve atmospheric pressure diffuse dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) in air, a helical–helical electrode structure with a floating-voltage electrode is proposed in this paper. Results from an electric field distribution simulation indicate that strong electric fields are formed where the helical-contact electrodes’ insulating layers are in contact with each other, as well as near the floating-voltage electrode, which contributes to the production of a large number of seed electrons. The electric field within the air gap is weak (< 3×10⁶ Vm⁻¹), which inhibits the rapid development of electron avalanches and the formation of filament discharge. The experimental result shows that a 3.0 mm width diffuse DBD is generated in air. Moreover, based on the study of the helical–helical electrode with a floating-voltage electrode, a threedimensional electrode structure is presented, and a three-dimensional diffuse discharge is generated in air by adopting this electrode structure. The plasma studied is stable and demonstrates good diffusion characteristics, and therefore has potential applications in the field of exhaust gas treatment and air purification.     

Hollow hexagonal pattern with surface discharges in a dielectric barrier discharge

The hollow hexagonal pattern involved in surface discharges is firstly investigated in a?dielectric barrier discharge system. The spatiotemporal structures of the pattern are studied using an intensified charge-coupled device and photomultiplier. Instantaneous images taken by an intensified charge-coupled device and optical correlation measurements show that the surface discharges are induced by volume discharges. The optical signals indicate that the discharge filaments constituting the hexagonal frame discharge randomly at the first current pulse or the second pulse, once?or twice. There is no?interleaving of several sub-lattices, which indicates that the ‘memory' effect is no longer in force due to surface discharges. By using the emission spectrum method, both the molecule vibration temperature?and electron density of the surface discharges are larger than that of the volume discharges.     

Conversion of NO with a catalytic packed-bed dielectric barrier discharge reactor

This paper discusses the conversion of nitric oxide (NO) with a low-temperature plasma induced by a catalytic packed-bed dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor.Alumina oxide (Al2O3),glass (SiO2) and zirconium oxide (ZrO2),three different spherical packed materials of the same size,were each present in the DBD reactor.The NO conversion under varying input voltage and specific energy density,and the effects of catalysts (titanium dioxide (TiO2) and manganese oxide (MnOx) coated on Al2O3) on NO conversion were investigated.The experimental results showed that NO conversion was greatly enhanced in the presence of packed materials in the reactor,and the catalytic packed bed of MnOx/Al2O3 showed better performance than that of TiO2/Al2O3.The surface and crystal structures of the materials and catalysts were characterized through scanning electron microscopy analysis.The final products were clearly observed by a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer and provided a better understanding of NO conversion.     

Formation of honeycomb-Kagome hexagonal superlattice pattern with dark discharges in dielectric barrier discharge

A honeycomb-Kagome hexagonal superlattice pattern with dark discharges is observed in a dielectric barrier discharge system for the first time. The spatiotemporal structure of the honeycomb-Kagome hexagonal superlattice pattern with dark discharges is investigated by an intensified charge-coupled device and the photomultipliers show that it is an interleaving of three different sub-lattices, which are bright-spot, invisible honeycomb lattice, and Kagome lattice with invisible frameworks and dim-spots, respectively. The invisible honeycomb lattices and Kagome lattices are actually composed of dark discharges. By using the optical emission spectra method, it is found that the plasma parameters of the three different sub-lattices are different. The influence of the dark discharges on pattern formation is discussed. The results may have significance for the investigation of the dark discharges and will accelerate the development of self-organized pattern dynamics.     

Experimental and simulated investigation of microdischarge characteristics in a pin-to-pin dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor

Both experimental and simulated studies of microdischarge (MD) are carried out in a dielectric barrier discharge with a pin-to-pin gap of 3.5 mm, ignited by a sinusoidal voltage with a peak voltage of 10 kV and a driving frequency of 5 kHz. Statistical results have shown that the probability of the single current pulse in the positive half-period (HP) reaches 73.6% under these conditions. Experimental results show that great luminous intensity is concentrated on the dielectric surface and the tip of the metal electrode. A 1D plasma fluid model is implemented by coupling the species continuity equations, electron energy density equations, Poisson equation, and Helmholtz equations to analyze the MD dynamics on the microscale. The simulated results are in good qualitative agreement with the experimental results. The simulated results show that the MD dynamics can be divided into three phases: the Townsend phase, the streamer propagation phase, and the discharge decay phase. During the streamer propagation phase, the electric field and electron density increase with the streamer propagation from the anode to the cathode, and their maximal values reach 625.48 Td and 2.31 × 1019 m−3, as well as 790.13 Td and 3.58 × 1019 m−3 in the positive and negative HP, respectively. Furthermore, a transient glow-like discharge is detected around the anode during the same period of streamer propagation. The formation of transient glow-like discharge is attributed to electrons drifting back to the anode, which is driven by the residual voltage in the air gap.     

The effects of gas flow pattern on the generation of ozone in surface dielectric barrier discharge

Ozone production utilizing surface dielectric barrier discharge (SDBD) was experimental studied for different flow patterns considering the influences of transversal flow, lateral flow and different lateral flow positions. Results show that the flow patterns have a remarkable impact on the ozone yield by affecting the uniformity and turbulence of gas flow. Meanwhile, distributing the O₂ flow rate according to the intensity of the plasma reaction would also increase the generation efficiency of SDBD for ozone production. By improving the uniformity and introducing the lateral flow to the transversal flow, the highest ozone yield was obtained in flow pattern ‘F’. In this case, the ozone yield increased by 28.4% to 131 gkWh ⁻¹ from 102.8 gkWh⁻¹ in flow pattern ‘A’.