Pulsed high-current discharge in water:adiabatic model of expanding plasma channel and acoustic wave

This paper presents the results of a theoretical and experimental study of the use of a pulsed discharge in water to obtain a strong acoustic wave in a liquid medium.A discharge with a current amplitude of 10 kA,a duration of 400 ns,and an amplitude pulsed power of 280 MW in water at atmospheric pressure created an expanding acoustic wave with an amplitude of more than 100 MPa.To describe the formation of the discharge channel,an isothermal plasma model has been developed,which made it possible to calculate both the expansion dynamics of a high-current channel and the strong acoustic wave generated by it.Our calculations show that the number density of plasma in the channel reaches 10^(20) cm^(-3),while the degree of water vapor ionization is about 10%,and the channel wall extends with a velocity of 500 m s^(−1).The calculations for the acoustic wave are in good agreement with measurements.

The effect of the configuration of a single electrode corona discharge on its acoustic characteristics

A new sparker system based on pulsed spark discharge with a single electrode has already been utilized for oceanic seismic exploration. However, the electro-acoustic energy efficiency of this system is lower than that of arc discharge based systems. A simple electrode structure was investigated in order to improve the electro-acoustic energy efficiency of the spark discharge. Experiments were carried out on an experimental setup with discharge in water driven by a pulsed power source. The voltage-current waveform, acoustic signal and bubble oscillation were recorded when the relative position of the electrode varied. The electro-acoustic energy , efficiency was also calculated. The load voltage had a saltation for the invaginated electrode tip, namely an obvious voltage remnant. The more the electrode tip was invaginated, the larger the pressure peaks and first period became. The results show that electrode recessing into the insulating layer is a simple and effective way to improve the electro-acoustic energy efficiency from 2% to about 4%.

Nitrogen Fixation into HNO_3 and HNO_2 by Pulsed High Voltage Discharge

Plasma processing induced by discharge offers a unique way to activate nitrogen molecules. Direct nitrogen fixation into water can be realized through this approach. In this study, air or pure nitrogen gas was used as the major nitrogen source bubbled into the discharge reactor. When a discharge occurred, nitrogen was dissociated to active species to take part in the aqueous chemical process. HNO3 and HNO2 were produced. The nitrogen fixation process was influenced distinctly by the presence of hydroxyl radicals. During a discharge of 21 min, HNO3 was the main product and occupied 95% of the total nitrogen content in water. Its concentration was 1.36 × 10^-3 mol/L^-1 with bubbling air and was 1.53 × 10^-3 mol L^-1 with bubbling nitrogen, while the yield was 2.32 × 10^-3 mol J^-1S^-1 and 2.06 × 10^-8 mol J^-1S^-1, respectively.

Characteristic Analysis of AC Plasma Arc in Water

An experimental system of AC arc discharge in water was designed with pole-pole electrodes and a peak voltage of 1500 V and a test circuit was set up using virtual instrument technology. The mechanism of an AC plasma arc generated in water was analyzed. The voltage- current characteristic of the AC plasma are was obtained from the waveform. The temperature characteristic was tested with a spectrum diagnosis system, and the effect of different electrode materials on the striking voltage and peak current was analyzed. The results show that when a power supply of 6 kW is applied on electrodes with a gap of 2 mm in water, the striking voltage is from 900 V to 1300 V, the arc voltage is from 40 V to 100 V, the arc current is from 2 A to 7 A, and the zero rest period is from 1 ms to 2 ms. In addition, the arc voltage and current are different for electrodes in aluminum, copper and stainless steel. The arc voltage is lower and the current is higher for an aluminum electrode than those for copper and stainless steel ones. The highest temperature of the arc is 7643 K.