The transition between different modes of barrier discharges at atmospheric pressure

Abstract

Barrier discharges (BDs) can be operated in so-called diffuse modes. In contrast to the usual filamentary regime, which is characterized by a large number of individual microdischarges, the plasma of a diffuse BD covers the entire electrode area uniformly. Depending on the operation conditions (gas composition, amplitude and frequency of applied voltage), different diffuse modes can be investigated, namely, the atmospheric pressure Townsend discharge (APTD) and the atmospheric pressure glow discharge (APGD). The subject of the paper is the study of the transition between APTD and APGD as well as between diffuse and filamentary BD modes. Therefore, BDs were studied in the gas mixtures N2/H2, N2/He, N2/Ne and N2/Ar. It is shown that APGD in the noble gases helium and neon is formed due to high ionization rate at a comparatively low electric field, assisted by indirect ionization mechanisms involving metastable states of inert gases and nitrogen impurities, while the existence of APTD is coupled to the existence of metastable states of molecular nitrogen. Furthermore, a similar memory effect of residual surface charges on the dielectric barriers as described for filamentary BDs was observed in diffuse BDs.

Simulation of the discharge propagation in a capillary tube in air at atmospheric pressure

“…In this model, to simplify calculations, the production of photons I is assumed to be equal to the ionization production rate S i [Odrobina and Cernak , 1991;Georghiou et al, 2001;Brandeburg et al, 2009] and then the only coefficient to be determined to model the photoemission source term is γ photoem in Eq. (5).…”

An investigation of dielectric barrier discharge in Ar and Ar/NH3 mixture using cross-correlation spectroscopy

“…In this case the voltage at which the transition occurred is referred to as transient voltage. Since breakdown voltage is highly dependent on time since last discharge [13], the following technique was used. The applied voltage was increased until discharge appeared.…”

Diffuse Coplanar Surface Barrier Discharge in Artificial Air: Statistical Behaviour of Microdischarges

“…For the generation of homogeneous volume DBDs at atmospheric pressure the use of noble gasses or pure nitrogen is necessary -as in the case of e.g. APGD or APTD [36][37][38][39]. Contrary to the previously mentioned DBD configurations the DCSBD is capable of generating a macroscopically uniform plasma layer with high power density and energetic efficiency when operated in air [40,41].…”