Surface charge characteristics in a three-electrode surface dielectric barrier discharge

The surface charge characteristics in a three-electrode surface dielectric barrier discharge(SDBD)are experimentally investigated based on the Pockels effect of an electro-optical crystal. The actuator is based on the most commonly used SDBD structure for airflow control, with an exposed electrode supplied with sinusoidal AC high voltage, a grounded encapsulated electrode and an additional exposed electrode downstream supplied with DC voltage. The ionic wind velocity and thrust can be significantly improved by increasing DC voltage although the plasma discharge characteristics are virtually unaffected. It is found that the negative charges generated by the discharge of the three-electrode structure accumulate on the dielectric surface significantly further downstream in an AC period compared to the actuator with a two-electrode structure. The negative charges in the downstream region increase as the DC voltage increases.In addition, the DC voltage affects the time required for the positive charge filaments to decay.The positive DC voltage expands the ionic acceleration zone downstream to produce a greater EHD force. The amplitude of the DC voltage affects the electric field on the dielectric surface and is therefore a key factor in the formation of the EHD force. Further research on the surface charge characteristics of a three-electrode structure has been conducted using a pulse power to drive the discharge, and the same conclusions are drawn. This work demonstrates a link between surface charge characteristics and EHD performance of a three-electrode SDBD actuator.

Comparison of the effect of different external electrodes on discharge plasma-assisted diffusion flame stabilization

To optimize the design of plasma injectors,the influence of different external electrodes on plasma-assisted flame stabilization was assessed by using a nonequilibrium plasma injector flame control setup.The electrical characteristics of the injector,flame structure parameters,flame intensity,discharge power,and cost-to-effectiveness ratio under different external electrodes(four mesh electrodes and one copper foil electrode)were analyzed using electrical and optical methods.The results show that reducing the mesh size of the external electrode leads to a decrease in breakdown voltage.Compared with a ceramic dielectric barrier-based injector,an injector with a quartz dielectric barrier produces a higher breakdown voltage under the same conditions.For the same actuation voltage,the discharge current increases as the mesh size of the external electrode decreases,and combustion is enhanced by the discharge plasma;therefore,it is better to adopt a smaller mesh hole size to realize good flame stabilization under a lower actuation voltage.However,under the studied working conditions,reducing the mesh hole size of the external electrode increases the cost-to-effectiveness ratio of plasma injector-based flame stabilization.Thus,considering the cost-to-effectiveness ratio and the weight of the injector,an external electrode with a larger mesh hole size should be chosen,which contradicts the above rule.

Formation mechanism of bright and dark concentric-ring pattern in dielectric barrier discharge

In this work,a bright and dark concentric-ring pattern is reported in a dielectric barrier discharge for the first time.The spatiotemporal dynamics of the bright and dark concentric-ring pattern are investigated with an intensified charge-coupled device and photomultiplier tubes.The results indicate that the bright and dark concentric-ring pattern is composed of three concentric-ring sublattices.These are bright concentric-ring structures,dark concentric-ring structures and wider concentric-ring structures,respectively.The bright concentric-ring structures and dark concentricring structures are alternately distributed.The bright concentric-ring structures are located at the centre of the wider concentric-ring structures.The wider concentric-ring structures first form from the outer edge and gradually develop to the centre.The essence of all three concentric-ring structures is the individual discharge filaments.The optical emission spectra of different sublattices are acquired and analysed.It is found that the plasma parameters of the three concentricring sublattices are different.Finally,the formation mechanism of the bright and dark concentricring pattern is discussed.

Discharge mode and particle transport in radio frequency capacitively coupled Ar/O_(2) plasma discharges

Simulations are conducted on capacitively coupled Ar/O_(2)mixed gas discharges employing a one-dimensional fluid coupled with an electron Monte Carlo(MC)model.The research explores the impact of different O_(2)ratio and pressures on the discharge characteristics of Ar/O_(2)plasma.At a fixed Ar/O_(2)gas ratio,with the increasing pressure,higher ion densities,as well as a slight increase in electron density in the bulk region can be observed.The discharge remains dominated by the drift-ambipolar(DA)mode,and the flux of O(3P)at the electrode increases with the increasing pressure due to higher background gas density,while the fluxes of O(1D)and Ardecrease due to the pronounced loss rate.With the increasing proportion of O_(2),a change in the dominant discharge mode from a mode to DA mode can be detected,and the O_(2)-associated charged particle densities are significantly increased.However,Ar+density shows a trend of increasing and then decreasing,while for neutral fluxes at the electrode,Arflux decreases,and O(3P)flux increases with the reduced Ar gas proportion,while trends in O(1D)flux show slight differences.The evolution of the densities of the charged particle and the neutral fluxes under different discharge parameters are discussed in detail using the ionization characteristics as well as the transport properties.Hopefully,more comprehensive understanding of Ar/O_(2)discharge characteristics in this work will provide a valuable reference for the industry.

Numerical simulation and experimental validation of a direct current air corona discharge under atmospheric pressure

Air corona discharge is one of the critical problems associated with high-voltage equipment. Investigating the corona mechanism plays a key role in enhancing the electrical insulation performance. An improved self-consistent multi-component two-dimensional plasma hybrid model is presented for the simulation of a direct current atmospheric pressure corona discharge in air. The model is based on plasma hydrodynamic and chemical models, and includes 12 species and 26 reactions. In addition, the photoionization effect is introduced into the model. The simulation on a bar-plate electrode configuration with an inter-electrode gap of 5.0 mm is carried out. The discharge voltage- current characteristics and the current density distribution predicted by the hybrid model agree with the experimental measurements. In addition, the dynamics of volume charged species generation, discharge current waveform, current density distribution at an electrode, charge density, electron temperature, and electric field variations are investigated in detail based on the model. The results indicate that the model can contribute valuable insights into the physics of an air plasma discharge.

Temperature field at time of pulse current discharge in metal structure with elliptical embedding crack

Theoretical analysis is made on the temperature field at the time of pulse current discharge in a metal structure with an elliptical embedding crack. In finding the temperature field, analogy between the current flow through an elliptical embedding crack and the fluid flow through a barrier is made based on the similarity principle. Boundary conditions derived from this theory are introduced so that the distribution of current density and the temperature field expressions can be obtained. The study provides a theoretic basis to the applications of stopping spatial crack with electromagnetic heating.

Numerical simulation of a direct current glow discharge in atmospheric pressure helium

Characteristics of a direct current （DC） discharge in atmospheric pressure helium are numerically investigated based on a one-dimensional fluid model. The results indicate that the discharge does not reach its steady state till it takes a period of time. Moreover, the required time increases and the current density of the steady state decreases with increasing the gap width. Through analyzing the spatial distributions of the electron density, the ion density and the electric field at different discharge moments, it is found that the DC discharge starts with a Townsend regime, then transits to a glow regime. In addition, the discharge operates in a normal glow mode or an abnormal glow one under different parameters, such as the gap width, the ballast resistors, and the secondary electron emission coefficients, judged by its voltage-current characteristics.

Current self-limitation in a transverse nanosecond discharge with a slotted cathode

A high-voltage transverse pulsed nanosecond discharge with a slotted hollow cathode was found to be a source of high-energy （few kV） ribbon electron beams. Conditions for the formation and extinction of electron beams were experimentally studied in discharges in helium at pressures of 1-100 Torr. It was found that interaction of fast electrons with a non-uniform electric field near the slotted cathode led to limitation of the magnitude of the discharge current. A physical model was developed to describe the discharge current self-limitation that was in satisfactory agreement with the experimental results. Some technical solutions that are expected to increase the upper current limits in transverse nanosecond discharge are discussed.

Circle Points Discharge Tube Current Controller

Circle points discharge tube current controller is a new type device to limit the output of high voltage discharge current. Circle points uniform corona discharge to form air ionization current in the discharge tube. On the outside, even if the discharge electrode is spark discharging or the two discharge electrodes are short circuited, the air ionization current in the tube remains within a stable range, and there is no spark discharge. In this case, when the discharge current only increases slightly, the requirement to limited current is obtained. By installing the controller at a discharge pole with a small power but high voltage supply, we can realize the shift between the continuous spark line discharge and corona discharge. This provides a new simple device for spark discharge research and is a supplement to the Townsend discharge experiment.

A superhigh discharge capacity induced by a synergetic effect between high-surface-area carbons and a carbon paper current collector in a lithium–oxygen battery

This paper invesitages the synergetic effect between high-surface-area carbons, such as Ketjan Black(KB) or Super P(SP) carbon materials, and low-surface-area carbon paper(CP) current collectors and it also examines their influence on the discharge performance of nonaqueous Li–O2cells. Ultra-large specific discharge capacities are found in the KB/CP cathodes, which are much greater than those observed in the individual KB or CP cathodes. Detailed analysis indicates that such unexpectedly large capacities result from the synergetic effect between the two components. During the initial discharges of KB or SP materials, a large number of superoxide radical(O·-2) species in the electrolytes and Li2O2 nuclei at the CP surfaces are formed, which activate the CP current collectors to contribute considerable capacities. These results imply that CP could be a superior material for current collectors in terms of its contribution to the overall discharge capacity.On the other hand, we should be careful to calculate the specific capacities of the oxygen cathodes when using CP as a current collector; i.e., ignoring the contribution from the CP may cause overstated discharge capacities.

Experiment Study on the Ending Criteria of Charge and Discharge of Nickel-Hydride Battery

Charge and discharge characteristics of Ni/MH batteries are investigated with experiments. During battery’s working, the voltage, capacity, temperature and internal resistance were recorded, corresponding curves were depicted. Variations of the aforementioned four parameters are differently obvious. Ending criteria of charge and discharge of Ni/MH batteries are discussed on the basis of the curves. Voltage, capacity and temperature of a battery can be used as ending criteria during charge. When discharge takes place, voltage, capacity and internal resistance can be chosen as ending criteria. As a whole, capacity is more suitable for being used as ending criteria of charge and discharge than the other three parameters. At last, the capacity of a battery is recommended to be ending criteria of charge and discharge. The conclusions will provide references to different capacity Ni/MH batteries for electric vehicles.

Plasma Current Sheath Motion in Coaxial Plasma Discharge

In this paper experiments and theoretical treatments [1] on 1.5 KJ coaxial plasma discharge device have been carried out to show, plasma current sheath, PCS, motion in coaxial plasma discharge by studying: the effect of nitrogen gas pressure in the range from 1 to 2.2 Torr and the axial position of PCS along the coaxial electrodes on the modification factor, actual drive parameter, PCS curvature and shape (thickness). Also the dynamics of PCS along the coaxial electrodes due to the combination effect of induced azimuthal and axial magnetic fields induction has been detected experimentally by using a magnetic probe technique.

Study on influencing factors of ion current density measurement in corona discharge of HVDC transmission lines

The ground level ion current density produced by corona discharge in high voltage direct current(HVDC)transmission lines can reflect the operation status of the lines,but the distorted electric field at the edge of the Wilson plate seriously affects the measurement results of ion current density.In order to measure the ground level ion current density accurately and directly,a new reduced scale wire-plate experimental device in which the Wilson plate is flush with the grounding plate is designed.The influence of protective annulus width and the height of the Wilson plate from the grounding plate on ground level ion current density are studied.In addition,the differences between the micro-current galvanometer method and the sampling resistance method in the measurement of ion current density are compared.Finally,the ground level ion current density distributions of unipolar and bipolar HVDC transmission lines are measured.The results show that the edge effect of the Wilson plate can be neglected when the width of protective annulus is less than 2 mm,and the ion current density is nonlinear with the height of the Wilson plate from the grounding plate.Moreover,the internal resistance of the digital voltmeter seriously affects the measurement results and it is necessary to correct the results.Finally,at the same applied voltage,the ground level ion current density in the negative conductor region is higher than that in the positive conductor region.

Pre-breakdown to stable phase and origin of multiple current pulses in argon dielectric barrier discharge

We report on the results of numerical models of the(i)initial growth and(ii)steady state phases of atmospheric-pressure homogeneous dielectric barrier discharge in argon.We employ our new inhouse code called Py DBD,which solves continuity equations for both particles and energy,shows exceptional stability,is accelerated by adaptive time stepping and is openly available to the scientific community.Modeling argon plasma is numerically challenging due to the lower speeds of more inertial ions compared to more commonly modeled neon and helium,but its common use for plasma jets in medicine makes its modeling compelling.Py DBD is here applied to modeling two setups:(i)the exponential growth from natural electron-ion seeds(onset phase)until saturation is reached and(ii)the multiple current pulses that naturally appear during the steady state phase.We find that the time required for the onset phase,when the plasma density grows from 10^(9)m^(-3)to 10^(17)m^(-3),varies from 80μs at 4.5 k V down to a fewμs above 6.5 k V,for voltage frequency f=80 k Hz and gap width d_(g)=0.9 mm.At the steady state,our model reproduces two previously observed features of the current in dielectric barrier discharge reactors:(1)an oscillatory behavior associated to the capacitative character of the circuit and(2)several(N_(p))current pulses occurring every half sinusoidal cycle.We show that the oscillations are present during the exponential growth,while current pulses appear approaching the steady state.After each micro-discharge,the gas voltage decreases abruptly and charged particles rapidly accumulate at the dielectric boundaries,causing avalanches of charged particles near the reactor boundaries.Finally,we run a parametric study finding that N_(p)increases linearly with voltage amplitude V_(amp),is inversely proportional to dielectric gap d_(g)and decreases when voltage frequency f increases.The code developed for this publication is freely available at the address https://github.com/gabersyd/PyDBD.

Origin of Initial Current Peak in High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering and Verification by Non-Sputtering Discharge

A non-sputtering discharge is utilized to verify the effect of replacement of gas ions by metallic ions and consequent decrease in the secondary electron emission coefficient in the discharge current curves in high-power impulse magnetron sputtering （HiPIMS）. In the non-sputtering discharge involving hydrogen, replacement of ions is avoided while the rarefaction still contributes. The initial peak and ensuing decay disappear and all the discharge current curves show a similar feature as the HiPIMS discharge of materials with low sputtering yields such as carbon. The results demonstrate the key effect of ion replacement during sputtering.

Modeling Rogowski Coils for Monitoring Surge Arrester Discharge Currents

Rogowski coils(RCs)are widely used to measure power or high frequency currents based on their design.In this paper,two types of RCs that are circular(traditional)and cylindrical shapes wound using wire covered by varnish are constructed.This construction is carried out to be suitable for monitoring the discharge current of the surge arrester installed in the distribution system.Concerning high frequency RC modeling for both types considering transfer function is introduced.Self-integrating for both types is attained.Therefore,the experimental tests using function generator for both coils are carried out to identify the parameters of the transfer function representing the introduced model.The measured signals for current and induced voltages are denoised for the parameter identification process.The denoised process is achieved using the MATLAB code‘wdenoise’while the parameters are estimated using the system identification toolbox.Verification of the proposed model is achieved using experimental results for the two coils.The sensitivity of the two coils is investigated based on the induced output voltage.The application concerning the two coils for monitoring the discharge current of the surge arrester is done.The results confirm the accuracy of the introduced RC model,as well as the performance of the cylindrical shape,is better than the traditional one.The simulation is carried out using MATLAB and ATPDraw programs.

The current pulses characteristics of the negative corona discharge in SF_(6)/CF_(4)mixtures

This paper presents the results of numerical investigation of the current pulses characteristics in SF_(6)/CF_(4)mixtures for the negative point-plane corona discharge.The pressure and the temperature of gas mixtures are 0.4 MPa and 300 K,respectively.The CF_(4)content varies from20%to 80%.The 2D axisymmetric geometry with point-plane electrodes is investigated,and the three drift-diffusion equations are solved to predict the characteristics of the negative corona discharge.In addition,Poisson’s equation is coupled with the above three continuity equations to calculate the electric field.In order to calculate the electron impact coefficients,including the Townsend ionization and attachment coefficients,as well as the mobilities and diffusion coefficients for electrons,the two-term Boltzmann equation is solved.The characteristics of three ionic species at five stages of the first current pulse in 60%SF_(6)-40%CF_(4)and20%SF_(6)-80%CF_(4)mixtures are selected to discuss the development mechanism of current pulses.Moreover,the reduced electric field strengths at the corresponding time instants are presented to help understand the discharge process.The current waveform and the total number of three species are compared in all the cases to analyze the effects of the CF_(4)content on the discharge.The reduced electric field strength is also helpful in understanding the effects of CF_(4)content.When the CF_(4)content increases to 80%,the discharge is more intensive and the pulse frequency also increases.

Research on corona discharge suppression of high-voltage direct-current transmission lines based on dielectric-film-covered conductor

Corona discharge suppression for high-voltage direct-current(HVDC)transmission lines at line terminals such as converter stations is a subject that requires attention.In this paper,a method based on a conductor covered with dielectric film is proposed and implemented through a bench-scale setup.Compared with the bare conductor,the corona discharge suppression effect of the dielectric-film-covered conductor under positive polarity is studied from the composite field strength and ion current density using a line-plate experimental device.The influences of film thickness and film material on the corona discharge suppression effect are investigated.The charge accumulation and dissipation characteristics of different film materials are also studied.The results show that the conductor covered with dielectric film has excellent ability to inhibit corona discharge.The ground-level composite field strength of the conductor covered with dielectric film is lower than its nominal field strength,and its ion current density is at the nA m^(−2) level.The corona threshold voltage can be promoted by increasing the film thickness,but the ability to inhibit corona discharge becomes weak.The larger the surface electric field strength,the more charge accumulated,but the faster the charge dissipation rate.Compared with polyvinyl chloride film,cross-linked polyethylene film has stronger charge accumulation ability and slower charge dissipation rate,which can better restrain the corona discharge of HVDC transmission lines.

An improved analysis method of constant-current charge/discharge curves and its application to nickel hydroxide electrode

The derivative of charge and discharge curves (d t /d E vs E plot) can be used to describe the charge and discharge process more exactly. The d t /d E ? 獷 plots of nickel hydroxide electrode at different charge/discharge rates and intermittent discharge experiment are discussed. Though the d t /d E ? 獷 plot is affected by many factors, it clearly has intrinsic relation with the nature of active material such as conductivity and thermodynamic potential of active material, which changes with the state of charge. The d t /d E—E plot can also be applied to other electrochemical active materials, especially to those having several phases during charge or discharge.

Modeling of Pulsed Direct-Current Glow Discharge

A self-consistent model was adopted to study the time evolution of low-voltage pulsed DC glow discharge. The distributions of electric field, ion density and electron density in nitrogen were investigated in our simulation, and the temporal shape of the discharge current was also obtained. Our results show that the dynamic behaviors of the discharge depends strongly on the applied pulse voltage, and the use of higher pulse voltages results in a significantly increase of discharge current and a decrease of discharge delay time. The current-voltage characteristic cMculated by adjusting secondary electron emission coefficient for different applied pulse voltage under the gas pressure of 1 Torr is found in a reasonable agreement with the experimental results.