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.

Influence of nitrogen impurities on the characteristics of a patterned helium dielectric barrier discharge at atmospheric pressure

In this paper, a two-dimensional axisymmetric fluid model was established to investigate the influence of nitrogen impurity content on the discharge pattern and the relevant discharge characteristics in an atmosphere pressure helium dielectric barrier discharge(DBD). The results indicated that when the nitrogen content was increased from 1 to 100 ppm, the discharge pattern evolved from a concentric-ring pattern into a uniform pattern, and then returned to the concentricring pattern. In this process, the discharge mode at the current peak moment transformed from glow mode into Townsend mode, and then returned to glow mode. Further analyses revealed that with the increase of impurity level, the rate of Penning ionization at the pre-ionization stage increased at first and decreased afterwards, resulting in a similar evolution pattern of seed electron level. This evolution trend was believed to be resulted from the competition between the N2 partial pressure and the consumption rate of metastable species. Moreover, the discharge uniformity was found positively correlated with the spatial uniformity of seed electron density as well as the seed electron level. The reason for this correlation was explained by the reduction of radial electric field strength and the promotion of seed electron uniformity as pre-ionization level increases. The results obtained in this work may help better understand the pattern formation mechanism of atmospheric helium DBD under the variation of N2 impurity level, thereby providing a possible means of regulating the discharge performance in practical application scenarios.

Influence of vibration on spatiotemporal structure of the pattern in dielectric barrier discharge

The influence of vibration on the spatiotemporal structure of the pattern in dielectric barrier discharge is studied for the first time.The spatiotemporal structure of the pattern investigated by an intensified charge-coupled device shows that it is an interleaving of three sublattices, whose discharge sequence is small rods–halos–large spots in each half-cycle of the applied voltage.The result of the photomultiplier indicates that the small rods are composed of moving filaments.The moving mode of the moving filaments is determined to be antisymmetric stretching vibration by analyzing a series of consecutive images taken by a high-speed video camera.The antisymmetric stretching vibration affects the distribution of wall charges and leads to the halos.Furthermore, large spots are discharged only at the centers of the squares consisting of vibrating filaments.The vibration mechanism of the vibrating filaments is dependent on the electric field of wall charges.

The Effect of Sudden Change in Pipe Diameter on Flow Patterns of Air-Water Two-Phase Flow in Vertical Pipe (II) Sudden-Expansion Cross-Section

In this companion paper, flow patterns in the upstream and downstream tubes of a sudden-expansion cross-section (SECS) in a vertical straight pipe were presented. The effect of SECS on flow patterns upstream and downstream was analyzed by comparing with flow patterns in uniform cross-section vertical tubes. It is found the effect is great. There exist great instabilities of two-phase flow in the neighboring areas of the SECS both downstream and upstream.

Nonlinear phenomena in dielectric barrier discharges: pattern, striation and chaos

The nonlinear phenomenon is very popular in dielectric barrier discharge （DBD） plasmas. There are at least three kinds of spatial and temporal nonlinear phenomena appearing synchronously or asynchronously in DBDs, i.e. self-organized patterns, striations and chaos. This paper describes the recent research and progress in understanding the nature of these nonlinear phenomena. Patterns are macroscopic structures with certain spatial and/or temporal periodicities generated through self- organization of microscopic parameters. The physics of patterns in DBDs is mainly associated with lateral dynamic behaviors or the lateral non-local effect of charged particles resulting in the lateral development or non-uniformity of discharge. Striations are ionization waves with unique properties determined by transport phenomena, ionization processes and electron kinetics in current-carrying plasmas. The physics of striations in DBDs is mainly associated with the advances in non-local electron kinetics in spatially inhomogeneous plasmas. Chaos is a kind of random and non-periodic phenomenon occunfng in a determined dynamic system, following a series of certain rules while exhibiting random locomotion, and is regarded as an intrinsic and ubiquitous phenomenon in a nonlinear dynamic system. An evolution trajectory including period-doubling bifurcation to chaos was observed in DBDs or DBD-derived plasmas. In a common sense, it is believed that the formation of all the three nonlinear phenomena in a DBD system should be related to the non-local transversal and/or longitudinal dynamics of space charges （i.e. non-local effect） or the localized electric field interaction. Future work is still needed on the underlying physics and should be directed to pursuing the unification of these nonlinear phenomena in DBD.

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.

The Effect of Sudden Change in Pipe Diameter on Flow Patterns of Air-Water Two-Phase Flow in Vertical Pipe (I) Sudden-Contraction Cross-Section

Flow patterns upstream and downstream of a sudden-contraction cross-section in a vertical straight pipe were presented. By comparing with flow patterns in uniform cross-section vertical tubes, the effect of the sudden change in pipe diameter on flow patterns was analyzed. Flow pattern transition mechanisms were discussed and transition criteria for flow pattern transitions were deduced accordingly using the dimensional analysis.

Various concentric-ring patterns formed in a water-anode glow discharge operated at atmospheric pressure

Pattern formation is a very interesting phenomenon formed above a water anode in atmospheric pressure glow discharge.Up to now,concentric-ring patterns only less than four rings have been observed in experiments.In this work,atmospheric pressure glow discharge above a water anode is conducted to produce diversified concentric-ring patterns.Results indicate that as time elapses,the number of concentric rings increases continuously and up to five rings have been found in the concentric-ring patterns.Moreover,the ring number increases continuously with increasing discharge current.The electrical conductivity of the anode plays an important role in the transition of the concentric patterns due to its positive relation with ionic strength.Hence,the electrical conductivity of the water anode is investigated as a function of time and discharge current.From optical emission spectrum,gas temperature and intensity ratio related with density and temperature of electron have been calculated.The various concentric-ring patterns mentioned above have been simulated at last with an autocatalytic reaction model.

Various patterns in dielectric barrier glow discharges simulated by a dynamic model

In this paper, various patterns of dielectric barrier glow discharge simulated by a phenomenological dynamic model are reported.The model is constructed based on the basic dynamic process of dielectric barrier glow discharge and involves the voltage-transfer characteristic as well as the lateral inhibition effect.In simulations, different driving voltage profiles are applied to achieve one or two pulsed discharges in each half-period and the corresponding pattern evolution is investigated.The final stable patterns driven by a rectangular wave voltage organize simply as stationary striations or hexagonal lattices.The patterns driven by a multi-step wave appear to be much more complicated, with complementary striations,concentric rings and square superlattices observed.The evolutions of these patterns from the initial uniform state are described and it is found that the spreading of the inhibition effect plays a key role in these evolutions.The numerical simulations in the present work are in excellent accordance with previous experiments and fluid modeling.This dynamic model proves to be a convenient and promising approach to reproducing different pattern structures and pattern evolutions in dielectric barrier glow discharge systems.

Square grid pattern with direction-selective surface discharges in dielectric barrier discharge

A new phenomenon that a filament discharged only once instead of twice in a cycle of the applied voltage is observed in a square grid pattern in a dielectric barrier discharge(DBD)with a larger gas gap,which is named intermittent discharge.Its spatiotemporal dynamics and the formation mechanism are studied by the multiple photomultiplier tubes and an intensified charge-coupled device.Corresponding to the positions of spots in the picture with an exposure time of 40 ms,there are some bright spots(discharge spots)and black spots(non-discharged spots)in the instantaneous image with an exposure time of 10μs(a half cycle of the applied voltage).There are at least two bright spots around one black spot and vice versa.The surface discharges(SDS)can be observed between any two adjacent spots.The intensity of the SDSbetween the bright spot and the black spot is 2.5 times greater than that between two adjacent bright spots,which indicates that the SDSare directional-selective.The intermittent discharge with positive(negative)current polarity changes to that with negative(positive)current polarity,after it sustains up to 14 voltage cycles at the longest.The spatial distribution of the electric field component is calculated through COMSOL software to solve the Poisson equation numerically.It is found that the inhomogeneous distribution of surface electric field is caused by the inhomogeneous distribution of wall charges,which leads to direction-selective SDS.The intermittent discharge is formed by the competition between the direction-selective SDSand volume discharges(VDS)in DBD.This is the reason why the intermittent discharge is generated.

EXPERIMENTS OF INFLUENCE OF DISCHARGE PROCESS ON CHANNEL PATTERN

Based on experimental data and theory, by means of simplified discharge durations in a small flume, the influence of discharge process on channel morphology and channel pattern was analyzed in this paper. It was concluded that on the same original channel, different discharge and channel conditions would end with different river morphology, including thalwegs and radius of bends. Different discharge process resulted in two kinds of change: tiny change in the process of "big-small-big" and distinct change in the process of "small-big-small". Flood discharge duration was verified to be the main cause in the discharge process. Proper discharge process will change the morphologies of river, even can led to channel pattern transformation. The influences based on the relationship between the flow and the channel itself, including slope and riverbed constitution. Although not be a main cause, original channel morphology may influence its final channel pattern. Neglecting the influence of channel itself will hamper the understanding of channel patterns.

Controllable and tunable plasma photonic crystals through a combination of photonic crystal and dielectric barrier discharge patterns

We report five types of patterns with square symmetry,including three novel types obtained by inserting a specially designed grid photonic crystal(PC)into a dielectric barrier discharge system.They are studied using an intensified charge-coupled device camera and photomultiplier tubes.The three novel types of patterns are a square pattern with one structure,a square superlattice pattern with four sublattices and a(1/4)K_(grid)(K_(grid)is the basic wave vector of the grid),and another square pattern with a complex inversion discharge sequence.From the application viewpoint,the five types of patterns can be used as plasma photonic crystals(PPCs).Their band diagrams under a transverse-magnetic wave simulated by the finite element method show that there are a large number of band gaps.Compared with the original PC with only a unidirectional band gap,the five types of PPCs have tunable and omnidirectional band gaps,which is very important in controlling the propagation of electromagnetic waves in the mm-wave region.The experimental results enrich the pattern types in the dielectric barrier discharge system and provide a method for obtaining PPCs with symmetry controllability and bandgap tunability.

Spatio-temporal evolution characteristics and pattern formation of a gas–liquid interfacial AC current argon discharge plasma with a deionized water electrode

A discharge ignited by an AC power source in contact with deionized water as one of the electrodes is investigated.Immediately after initiation,the discharge exhibits a unique phenomenon:the gas-phase discharge is extended into the liquid.Later,a cone-like structure is observed at the liquid surface.Synchronous monitoring of current–voltage characteristics and liquid properties versus time suggests that the discharge shapes are functions of the liquid properties.The spatio-temporal profiles indicate the potential effects of water,ambient air impurities,and metastable argon on the discharge chemistry.This becomes more obvious near the liquid surface due to increasing production of various transient reactive species such as centerdot OH and NO centerdot.Moreover,it is revealed that thermalization of the rotational population distributions of the rotational states(N′⩽6,J′⩽13/2)in the Q1 branch of the OH(A2Σ+,υ′=0→X2Π3/2,υ′′=0)band ro-vibrational system is influenced by the humid environment near the liquid surface.In addition,the transient behaviors of instantaneous concentrations of long-lived reactive species(LRS)such as H2O2,NO−2,and NO−3 are observed with lengthening the discharge time.The production of multiple transient and LRS proposes AC excited gas–liquid argon discharge as a potential applicant in industrial wastewater cleaning,clinical medicine,and agriculture.

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.

Study on Ecological Landscape Pattern Change of Desert Sewage Discharge Area in Desert-Oasis Ecotone on the Southern Edge of Junggar Basin,Xinjiang

In order to understand the change characteristics of ecological landscape pattern of desert sewage discharge area in the desert-oasis ecotone on the southern edge of Junggar Basin,Xinjiang,based on the remote sensing images of 13 scenes GF1 and GF2 from 2013 to 2019,through image preprocessing,classification interpretation,GIS spatial analysis and landscape pattern index,the conclusions were as follows.From 2013 to 2019,the landscape area of sparse shrub forest land,grassland and saline alkali land increased,while the area of sandy bare land and pond surface increased.The mutual transformation among various types of landscapes was more active,among which the mutual transfer between sandy bare land and sparse shrub forest land was the most frequent.Various landscape dynamics changed significantly with time.All kinds of landscapes and the overall landscape showed the trend of fragmentation,discretization and complexity,and the overall landscape showed the trend of balanced distribution.The above results hoped to provide basic data and technical basis for eco-environmental protection,restoration and treatmen on the southern edge of Junggar Basin,and fill the current research gap.

Prediction models of the ionization coefficient and ionization cross-section based on multi-layer molecular parameters

Prediction models were proposed to estimate the reduced Townsend ionization coefficient and ionization cross-section.A shape function of the reduced Townsend ionization coefficient curves was derived from the ionization collision probability model.The function had three parameters:the first ionization potential energy,A_(α),and B_(α).A_(α)and B_(α)were related to the molecule symmetry and size.The polarization of molecules could characterize the molecule symmetry.The multi-layer molecular cross-section(MMCS)was proposed to describe the contributions of electrons and molecule radius on different molecule surfaces to collisions.A prediction model of the ionization cross-section was also proposed based on Aα.The molecule parameters were calculated by the Becke3–Lee–Yang–Parr(B3LYP)method and the 6–311G**basis set.We used available data of 30 and 23 gases,respectively,to build the prediction models of reduced Townsend ionization coefficients and ionization cross-sections.The relationships between the molecular parameters Aαand Bαand the ionization cross-section were built up via nonlinear fittings.The determination coefficients R^(2)of Aα,Bα,and the ionization cross-section were 0.877,0.887,and 0.838,respectively.The results showed that the accuracy of models was positively correlated with the molecule symmetry and reduced electric field.This was mainly related to the accuracy of the MMCS model in predicting Aα.The MMCS model needed to be improved to describe the collision direction selectivity caused by the molecule asymmetry.Under a high reduced electric field,that error of Aαhad less influence on the prediction results.However,the prediction results for single atoms with high symmetry were poor.This may be due to the absolute error of the model close to single atoms’reduced Townsend ionization coefficients.The models could provide the basis for gas insulation prediction and discharge calculations,especially for symmetric molecules under a high electric field.

Design of DC Partial Discharge Detecting System for Electrical Equipment

A balancing method was used to build a DC partial discharge （PD） testing circuit for electrical equipment,and a narrow-band detection system was designed using detection resistance and a filter. After signal accessed a high-speed digital acquisition （DAQ） card,the system was triggered to extract a single partial discharge （PD） signal. To eliminate the interference pulses caused by power supply ripple,etc.,the time domain and frequency domain features of pulses were extracted. Based on the features,cluster analysis was used to exclude interference pulses. Two-dimensional and three-dimensional histograms were obtained by use of the Δt method. Then,22 discharge statistical operators were calculated for the two-dimensional charts. Lastly,the defective capacitors were tested to verify the system＇s ability. The results show that the system is capable of PD detection in electrical equipment.

Chaotic Characteristic of Time Series of Partial Discharge in Oil-Paper Insulation

The chaotic characteristics of time series of five partial discharge （PD） patterns in oil-paper insulation are studied. The results verify obvious chaotic characteristic of the time series of discharge signals and the fact that PD is a chaotic process. These time series have distinctive features, and the chaotic attractors obtained from time series differed greatly from each other by shapes in the phase space, so they could be used to qualitatively identify the PD patterns. The phase space parameters are selected, then the chaotic characteristic quantities can be extracted. These quantities could quantificationally characterize the PD patterns. The effects on pattern recognition of PRPD and CAPD are compared by using the neural network of radial basis function. The results show that both of the two recognition methods work well and have their respective advantages. Then, both the statistical operators under PRPD mode and the chaotic characteristic quantities under CAPD mode are selected comprehensively as the input vectors of neural network, and the PD pattern recognition accuracy is thereby greatly improved.

Lung Function Impairment among Gasoline Attendants: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Occupational health is an important consideration, especially for people that work in an environment with pollutants. Gasoline attendants are individuals that work in filling stations. They are constantly exposed to gasoline fumes and automobile engine products from vehicle exhaust. This increases the risk of acute and chronic respiratory diseases and carcinogenesis among them. The risk of health complications tends to increase with the duration of exposure. The study aimed to determine the proportion of gasoline attendants with lung function impairment. Methods and Materials: Two hundred and eight eligible participants were recruited for this study. A cross-sectional analytical study was carried out in Esan West local government area of Edo state, Nigeria. The study was carried out for a period of six months from December 2015 to May 2016. A questionnaire was used to obtain information on demographic characteristics, work history, mode of exposure and duration of exposure to petrol fumes. Lung function was assessed using a DTspiro spirometer (Model POP 10. Serial no 110843-005);also the anthropometric parameters of the respondent were measured. Statistical analysis was done using IBM SPSS version 20.0. Frequency and percentages were used to present categorical data. The mean and standard deviation of continuous variables were calculated and compared using the student’s t-test. The criteria of significant association were assumed for a p-value less than 0.05. Results: A total of one hundred and forty petrol pump attendants and one hundred and forty controls participated in this study. The mean age for petrol pump attendants was 24 ± 3.1 years and 23 ± 2.8 years for the control group. There were no significant differences in the gender distribution and anthropometric parameters as observed in this study. The lung impairment pattern observed in this study was obstructive in twelve (8.6%) gasoline pump attendants and restrictive pattern in thirty-nine (27.9%) gasoline pump attendants, while only four (2.9%) had an obstructive pattern and twelve (8.6%) had a restrictive pattern of lung impairment among the control group. This implies that a restrictive pattern was predominant. This study also observed that there was an increase in the number of gasoline pump attendants with declined lung function compared to the control group. Conclusion: Restrictive pattern of lung impairment was more predominant than the obstructive pattern among gasoline pump attendants. As a result, public health interventions should be instituted among these individuals, especially in developing countries.

Lung Function Impairment among Gasoline Attendants: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Occupational health is an important consideration, especially for people that work in an environment with pollutants. Gasoline attendants are individuals that work in filling stations. They are constantly exposed to gasoline fumes and automobile engine products from vehicle exhaust. This increases the risk of acute and chronic respiratory diseases and carcinogenesis among them. The risk of health complications tends to increase with the duration of exposure. The study aimed to determine the proportion of gasoline attendants with lung function impairment. Methods and Materials: Two hundred and eight eligible participants were recruited for this study. A cross-sectional analytical study was carried out in Esan West local government area of Edo state, Nigeria. The study was carried out for a period of six months from December 2015 to May 2016. A questionnaire was used to obtain information on demographic characteristics, work history, mode of exposure and duration of exposure to petrol fumes. Lung function was assessed using a DTspiro spirometer (Model POP 10. Serial no 110843-005);also the anthropometric parameters of the respondent were measured. Statistical analysis was done using IBM SPSS version 20.0. Frequency and percentages were used to present categorical data. The mean and standard deviation of continuous variables were calculated and compared using the student’s t-test. The criteria of significant association were assumed for a p-value less than 0.05. Results: A total of one hundred and forty petrol pump attendants and one hundred and forty controls participated in this study. The mean age for petrol pump attendants was 24 ± 3.1 years and 23 ± 2.8 years for the control group. There were no significant differences in the gender distribution and anthropometric parameters as observed in this study. The lung impairment pattern observed in this study was obstructive in twelve (8.6%) gasoline pump attendants and restrictive pattern in thirty-nine (27.9%) gasoline pump attendants, while only four (2.9%) had an obstructive pattern and twelve (8.6%) had a restrictive pattern of lung impairment among the control group. This implies that a restrictive pattern was predominant. This study also observed that there was an increase in the number of gasoline pump attendants with declined lung function compared to the control group. Conclusion: Restrictive pattern of lung impairment was more predominant than the obstructive pattern among gasoline pump attendants. As a result, public health interventions should be instituted among these individuals, especially in developing countries.