On the evolution and formation of discharge morphology in pulsed dielectric barrier discharge

The discharge morphology of pulsed dielectric barrier discharge(PDBD) plays important roles in its applications. Here, we systematically investigated the effects of the voltage amplitude,discharge gap, and O_(2)content on the PDBD morphology, and revealed the possible underlying mechanism of the U-shaped formation. First, the morphological evolution under different conditions was recorded. A unique U-shaped region appears in the middle edge region when the gap is larger than 2 mm, while the entire discharge region remains columnar under a 2 mm gap in He PDBD. The width of the discharge and the U-shaped region increase with the increase in voltage, and decrease with the increase of the gap and O_(2)content. To explain this phenomenon,a two-dimensional symmetric model was developed to simulate the spatiotemporal evolution of different species and calculate the electric thrust. The discharge morphology evolution directly corresponds to the excited-state atomic reduction process. The electric thrust on the charged particles mainly determines the reaction region and strongly influences the U-shaped formation.When the gap is less than 2 mm, the electric thrust is homogeneous throughout the entire region,resulting in a columnar shape. However, when the gap is larger than 2 mm or O_(2)is added, the electric thrust in the edge region becomes greater than that in the middle, leading to the U-shaped formation. Furthermore, in He PDBD, the charged particles generating electric thrust are mainly electrons and helium ions, while in He/O_(2)PDBD those that generate electric thrust at the outer edge of the electrode surface are mainly various oxygen-containing ions.

Improving the energy efficiency of surface dielectric barrier discharge devices for plasma nitric oxide conversion utilizing active flow control

Improving energy efficiency in plasma NO removal is a critical issue.When the surface dielectric barrier discharge(SDBD)device is considered as a combination of multiple plasma actuators,the induced plasma aerodynamic effect cannot be ignored,which can affect the mass transfer,then affect the chemical reactions.Five SDBD devices with different electrode arrangements are studied for NO conversion.They correspond to different flow patterns.We find that the energy efficiency in an SDBD device with a common structure(Type 1)is 28%lower than that in SDBD devices with a special arrangement(Types 2–5).Two reasons may explain the results.First,fewer active species are produced in Type 1 because the development of discharge is hindered by the mutually exclusive electric field forces caused by the symmetrically distributed charged particles.Second,the plasma wind induced by the plasma actuator can enhance the mass and heat transfer.The mixing of reactants and products is better in Types 2–5 than Type 1 due to higher turbulence kinetic energy.

Rotor performance enhancement by alternating current dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuation

An experimental system was established to explore the plasma flow control effect for helicopter rotors in hover mode.With the plasma actuator applied at the leading edge of the rotor blades,alternating current dielectric barrier discharge(AC-DBD) plasma actuation was generated by a sinusoidal AC high-voltage generator.By direct force measurement,the influence of actuation parameters on the aerodynamic performance of the rotor was investigated at a tip Reynolds number of 1.7 × 105.AC-DBD actuation can delay the blade stall to more than 3° with a 20%increase of about in the thrust coefficient at the post-stall pitch.At a constant motor power driving the rotor,AC-DBD actuation could reduce the rotor’s torque at the stalled pitch and increase the rotational speed of the rotor.Also,AC-DBD actuation could maintain a relatively high hover efficiency of the rotor at large collective pitches.In a wide range of actuation parameters,AC-DBD plasma actuation could improve the rotor’s aerodynamic performance at large blade pitches.High-speed photography of the tuft motion on the blade’s upper surface showed that AC-DBD plasma actuation could promote the reattachment of the blade’s separation flow.

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.

Degradation of sulfamethoxazole in water by dielectric barrier discharge plasma jet:influencing parameters,degradation pathway,toxicity evaluation

Sulfamethoxazole(SMX)is an antibiotic and widely present in aquatic environments,so it presents a serious threat to human health and sustainable development.A dielectric barrier discharge(DBD)plasma jet was utilized to degrade aqueous SMX,and the effects of various operating parameters(working gas,discharge power,etc)on SMX degradation performance were studied.The experimental results showed that the DBD plasma jet can obtain a relatively high degradation efficiency for SMX when the discharge power is high with an oxygen atmosphere,the initial concentration of SMX is low,and the aqueous solution is under acidic conditions.The reactive species produced in the liquid phase were detected,and OH radicals and O3were found to play a significant role in the degradation of SMX.Moreover,the process of SMX degradation could be better fitted by the quasi-first-order reaction kinetic equation.The analysis of the SMX degradation process indicated that SMX was gradually decomposed and 4-amino benzene sulfonic acid,benzene sulfonamide,4-nitro SMX,and phenylsulfinyl acid were detected,and thus three possible degradation pathways were finally proposed.The mineralization degree of SMX reached 90.04%after plasma treatment for 20 min,and the toxicity of the solution fluctuated with the discharge time but eventually decreased.

Plasma-Catalytic Decomposition of 2,4-Dichlorophenol in a Dielectric Barrier Discharge with a Vermiculite ZiO2 Composite

The paper presents comparative kinetic characteristics of the decomposition of 2,4-dichlorophenol in a dielectric barrier discharge and a combined plasma-catalytic process. Vermiculite containing 5% zirconium was used as a catalyst. The destruction processes of 2,4-DCP proceed efficiently, the degree of decomposition increases in the combined plasma-catalytic process by a factor of 1.33 and reaches 80%. The experimental results were processed according to the first-order kinetic law (R2 > 0.97), according to which the effective constants (0.36 ± 0.04) and (0.51 ± 0.03) s-1 and the decomposition rates of 2,4-DCP (106 and 123 μmol/l·s) when treating model solutions without a catalyst and with vermiculite + Zr 5%, respectively, and the energy costs are 0.012 and 0.017 molecules/100eV. The main decomposition products present in the solution have been determined to be carboxylic acids, aldehydes, the contribution of which does not exceed 2%, as well as chloride ions, and in the gas phase they are carbon dioxide and molecular chlorine (the share of which does not exceed 1.5% of total chlorine content in the system).

Experimental Study on Surface Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma Actuator with Different Encapsulated Electrode Widths for Airflow Control at Atmospheric Pressure

The surface dielectric barrier discharge （SDBD） plasma actuator has shown great promise as an aerodynamic flow control device. In this paper, the encapsulated electrode width of a SDBD actuator is changed to study the airflow acceleration behavior. The effects of encapsulated electrode width on the actuator performance are experimentally investigated by measuring the dielectric layer surface potential, time-averaged ionic wind velocity and thrust force. Experimental results show that the airflow velocity and thrust force increase with the encapsulated electrode width. The results can be attributed to the distinct plasma distribution at different encapsulated electrode widths.

Plasma-assisted methane conversion in an atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge reactor

In this paper, a cylindrical dielectric barrier discharge （DBD） reactor has been developed for the conversion of methane into hydrogen and other valuable chemicals. The effects of a wide range of processing parameters including discharge power, residence time and frequency on the performance of plasma methane conversion reaction have been investigated. The results show that the CH4 DBD could be characterized as a typical filamentary discharge with a microdis-charge zone in each half-cycle of the applied voltage. The conversion of CH4 reaches a maximum of 25.2% at a feed flow rate of 50 mL-min-1, a discharge power of 45 W and an excitation frequency of 20 kHz. It is found that the residence time of methane in the discharge zone has the most significant effect on both methane conversion and hydrogen yield, which are significantly higher at higher residence time.

A New Approach to Plasma CVD of TiO_2 Photocatalyst on γ-Al_2O_3 Pellet Filled in Dielectric Barrier Discharges at Atmospheric Pressure

A supported TiO2/γ-Al2O3 photocatalyst has been prepared by γ-Al2O3 pellet-filled dielectric barrier discharges induced plasma CVD at atmospheric pressure and room temperature. The TiO2/γ-Al2O3 photocatalyst exhibits higher photocatalytic activity than Degussa P25, and much higher photocatalytic activity than that prepared by thermal CVD.

Particle Densities of the Atmospheric-Pressure Argon Plasmas Generated by the Pulsed Dielectric Barrier Discharges

Atmospheric-pressure argon plasmas have received increasing attention due to their high potential in many industrial and biomedical applications. In this paper, a 1-D fluid model is used for studying the particle density characteristics of the argon plasmas generated by the pulsed dielectric barrier discharges. The temporal evolutions of the axial particle density distributions are illustrated, and the influences of changing the main discharge conditions on the averaged particle densities are researched by independently varying the various discharge conditions. The calculation results show that the electron density and the ion density reach two peaks near the momentary cathodes during the rising and the falling edges of the pulsed voltage. Compared with the charged particle densities, the densities of the resonance state atom Arr and the metastable state atom Arm have more uniform axial distributions, reach higher maximums and decay more slowly. During the platform of the pulsed voltage and the time interval between the pulses, the densities of the excited state atom Ar＊ are far lower than those of the Arr or the Arm. The averaged particle densities of the different considered particles increase with the increases of the amplitude and the frequency of the pulsed voltage. Narrowing the discharge gap and increasing the relative dielectric constant of the dielectric also contribute to the increase of the averaged particle densities. The effects of reducing the discharge gap distance on the neutral particle densities are more significant than the influences on the charged particle densities.

Characteristic of Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet in Coplanar Dielectric Barrier Discharge

Non-thermal plasma jet at atmospheric pressure has recently attracted lots of attention because of its applications in plasma bullet or plasma plume.Thus,we studied on generating plasma jet by coplanar dielectric barrier discharge in a device driven by sinusoidal voltage.The processes of plasma discharges in both positive and negative half cycles were recorded using a high-speed ICCD(intensified charge-coupled device)camera;based on the results we estimated the velocity of plasma propagation,and investigated the influence of gas flow on the plasma development.It is shown that the plasma bullets,which have velocity in the order of 103～104m/s,exist only outside the cathode.APPJ(atmospheric pressure plasma jet)is created by the electron beam from the cathode,and then sustained by a strong radial electric field near and outside the cathode.The gas flow influences the APPJ length in air but not the APPJ discharge,while the discharge is affected significantly by the applied voltage.

Preparation of Diamond-like Carbon Film Assisted in the Plasma of Dielectric Barrier Discharge at Atmospheric Pressure

Dielectric barrier discharge at atmospheric presure has been applied to prepare hydrocarbon films on large- area glass and silicon substrates. When hydrogen and methane mixture(2:1) is used as discharge gas and the substrate is heated to 300 C, hard hydrogenated amorphous carbon film is deposited. From the IR deconvolution analysis of the C-H stretching absorption for the coating, the hydrocarbon group ration (CH3:CH2:CH) and C-C bond type ratio (sp3c/sp2c) are about 10%: 21%: 69% and 3:1~6:1,respectively. Their Knoop hardness is up to 10Gpa. No film isdeposited when the content of methane in the mixed gases is decreased to 5% at 300 C silicon substrate.

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;O;, NO;and O;are measured based on plasma treatment time.After 5 min of discharge treatment, the concentration of H;O;, NO;, and O;increased from 0 mg?·?L;to 96 mg?·?L;, 19.5 mg?·?L;, and 3.5 mg?·?L;, 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.

Toluene removal characteristics by a superimposed wire-plate dielectric barrier discharge plasma reactor

A superimposed wire-plate dielectric barrier discharge reactor was used to remove toluene in this study. The effects of oxygen content, gas flow rate, gas initial concentration and with/without catalyst on toluene decomposition were investigated. It was found that an optimal toluene removal was achieved when the oxygen content was about 5%. Under this condition, the highest toluene removal efficiency of 80.8% was achieved when the gas concentration was 80 mg/m^3. The toluene removal efficiency decreased with the increase of the gas flow rate and the initial concentration of toluene. In addition, the ozone concentration decreased with the increase of the initial concentration of toluene. It suggested that combining DBD （dielectric barrier discharge） with Co3O4/Al2O3/foam nickel catalyst in-situ could improve the toluene removal efficiency and suppress ozone formation. Products analysis showed that the main products were CO and CO2 when oxygen was more than 5%.

Study of Humidity Effect on Benzene Decomposition by the Dielectric Barrier Discharge Nonthermal Plasma Reactor

The humidity effects on the benzene decomposition process were investigated by the dielectric barrier discharge（DBD） plasma reactor.The results showed that the water vapor played an important role in the benzene oxidation process.It was found that there was an optimum humidity value for the benzene removal efficiency,and at around 60% relative humidity（RH）,the optimum benzene removal efficiency was achieved.At a SIE of 378 J/L,the removal efficiency was 66% at 0% RH,while the removal efficiency reached 75.3% at 60% RH and dropped to 69% at 80% RH.Furthermore,the addition of water inhibited the formation of ozone and NO2 remarkably.Both of the concentrations of ozone and NO2 decreased with increasing of the RH at the same specific input energy.At a SIE of 256 J/L,the concentrations of ozone and NO2 were 5.4 mg/L and 1791 ppm under dry conditions,whereas they were only 3.4 mg/L and 1119 ppm at 63.5%RH,respectively.Finally,the outlet gas after benzene degradation was qualitatively analyzed by FT-IR and GC-MS to determine possible intermediate byproducts.The results suggested that the byproducts in decomposition of benzene primarily consisted of phenol and substitutions of phenol.Based on these byproducts a benzene degradation mechanism was proposed.

Conversion from Dimethyl Ether to Dimethoxymethane and Dimethoxyethane Using Dielectric-Barrier Discharge Plasma

Experimental investigation was conducted to convert dimethyl ether (DME) in the presence of steam using dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) at atmospheric pressure and 373 K. The flow rate of DME was 20 ml/min. The introduction of steam resulted in an increase in the DME conversion and the selectivity of oxygenates. Plasma steam-enhanced dimethyl ether (DME) conversion led to a direct synthesis of DMMT and DMET, with a high selectivity of 5.78% and 17.99%, respectively. The addition of steam promoted the formation of 'plasma aerosol' that was favored for the formation of liquid oxygenates. The reaction pathway of plasma DME conversion was proposed.

Methane conversion into higher hydrocarbons with dielectric barrier discharge micro-plasma reactor

We reported a coaxial,micro-dielectric barrier discharge(micro-DBD)reactor and a conventional DBD reactor for the direct conversion of methane into higher hydrocarbons at atmospheric pressure.The effects of input power,residence time,discharge gap and external electrode length were investigated for methane conversion and product selectivity.We found the conversion of methane in a micro-DBD reactor was higher than that in a conventional DBD reactor.And at an input power of 25.0 W,the conversion of methane and the total C2+C3 selectivity reached 25.10% and 80.27%,respectively,with a micro-DBD reactor of 0.4 mm discharge gap.Finally,a nonlinear multiple regression model was used to study the correlations between both methane conversion and product selectivity and various system variables.The calculated data were obtained using SPSS 12.0 software.The regression analysis illustrated the correlations between system variables and both methane conversion and product selectivity.

Nanosecond Repetitively Pulsed Dielectric Barrier Discharge in Air at Atmospheric Pressure

Dielectric barrier discharge （DBD） between two cylindrical glass containers with salt water generated by a nanosecond repetitively pulsed power generator is reported. The electrical parameters, luminous images and spectrum diagnosis are presented. It is shown that the DBD possesses a large discharge current and an intense optical emission from the nitrogen second positive system below 400 nm. The gas temperature remains very close to room temperature regardless of pulse polarity. Luminous photographs with a short exposure time down to 2 ns indicate that no filament is observed and the discharge is homogeneous.

Partial Oxidation of Methane with Sol-Gel Fe/Hf/YSZ Catalyst in Dielectric Barrier Discharge: Catalyst Activation by Plasma

A 1% Fe-30% Hf over yttria-stabilized zirconia catalyst in combination with novel plasma-assisted activation techniques for a direct partial oxidation of methane to methanol was tested using dielectric barrier discharge plasma at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure. However, instead of methanol, the reaction products were dominated by HE, CO, CO2, C2, and H2O. A catalytically activated plasma process increased the production of methanol compared with a noncatalytic plasma process. The maximum selectivity of methanol production was achieved using a catalyst that was treated at higher applied power.

Characterization and Properties of Electroless Nickel Plated Poly (ethylene terephthalate) Nonwoven Fabric Enhanced by Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma Pretreatment

In order to develop a more economical pretreatment method for electroless nickel plating, a dielectric barrier discharge （DBD） plasma at atmospheric pressure was used to improve the hydrophilicity and adhesion of poly （ethylene terephthalate） （PET） nonwoven fabric. The properties of the PET nonwoven fabric including its liquid absorptive capacity （WA）, aging behavior, surface chemical composition, morphology of the surface, adhesion strength, surface electrical resistivity and electromagnetic interference （EMI）- shielding effectiveness （SE） were studied. The liquid absorptive capacity （WA） increased due to the incorporation of oxygen-containing and nitrogen-containing functional groups on the surface of PET nonwoven fabric after DBD airplasma treatment. The surface morphology of the nonwoven fibers became rougher after plasma treatment. Therefore, the surface was more prone to absorb tin sensitizer and palladium catalyst to form an active layer for the deposition of electroless nickel. SEM and X-ray diffraction （XRD） measurements indicated that a uniform coating of nickel was formed on the PET nonwoven fabric. The average EMI-SE of Ni-plating of PET nonwoven fabric maintained a relatively stable value （38.2 dB to 37.3 dB） in a frequency range of 50 MHz to 1500 MHz. It is concluded that DBD is feasible for pretreatment of nonwoven fabric for electroless nickel plating to prepare functional material with good EMI-SE properties.