Novel method for identifying the stages of discharge underwater based on impedance change characteristic

It is difficult to determine the discharge stages in a fixed time of repetitive discharge underwater due to the arc formation process being susceptible to external environmental influences. This paper proposes a novel underwater discharge stage identification method based on the Strong Tracking Filter(STF) and impedance change characteristics. The time-varying equivalent circuit model of the discharge underwater is established based on the plasma theory analysis of the impedance change characteristics and mechanism of the discharge process. The STF is used to reduce the randomness of the impedance of repeated discharges underwater, and then the universal identification resistance data is obtained. Based on the resistance variation characteristics of the discriminating resistance of the pre-breakdown, main, and oscillatory discharge stages, the threshold values for determining the discharge stage are obtained. These include the threshold values for the resistance variation rate(K) and the moment(t).Experimental and error analysis results demonstrate the efficacy of this innovative method in discharge stage determination, with a maximum mean square deviation of Scrless than 1.761.

Investigation on discharge characteristics of a coaxial dielectric barrier discharge reactor driven by AC and ns power sources

A coaxial dielectric barrier discharge（DBD） reactor with double layer dielectric barriers has been developed for exhaust gas treatment and excited either by AC power or nanosecond（ns）pulse to generate atmospheric pressure plasma. The comparative study on the discharge characteristics of the discharge uniformity, power deposition, energy efficiency, and operation temperature between AC and ns pulsed coaxial DBD is carried out in terms of optical and electrical characteristics and operation temperature for optimizing the coaxial DBD reactor performance. The voltages across the air gap and dielectric layer and the conduction and displacement currents are extracted from the applied voltages and measured currents of AC and ns pulsed coaxial DBDs for the calculation of the power depositions and energy efficiencies through an equivalent electrical model. The discharge uniformity and operating temperature of the coaxial DBD reactor are monitored and analyzed by optical images and infrared camera. A heat conduction model is used to calculate the temperature of the internal quartz tube. It is found that the ns pulsed coaxial DBD has a much higher instantaneous power deposition in plasma, a lower total power consumption, and a higher energy efficiency compared with that excited by AC power and is more homogeneous and stable. The temperature of the outside wall of the AC and ns pulse excited coaxial DBD reaches 158 ℃ and 64.3 ℃ after 900 s operation, respectively.The experimental results on the comparison of the discharge characteristics of coaxial DBDs excited by different powers are significant for understanding of the mechanism of DBDs,reducing energy loss, and optimizing the performance of coaxial DBD in industrial applications.

The effects of rainfall regimes and rainfall characteristics on peak discharge in a small debris flow-prone catchment

Peak discharge plays an important role in triggering channelized debris flows.The rainfall regimes and rainfall characteristics have been demonstrated to have important influences on peak discharge.In order to explore the relationship between rainfall regimes and peak discharge,a measuring system was placed at the outlet of a small,debris flow-prone catchment.The facility consisted of an approximately rectangular stilling basin,ending with a sharp-crested weir.Six runoff events were recorded which provided a unique opportunity for characterizing the hydrological response of the debris flow-prone catchment.Then,a rainfall–runoff model was tested against the flow discharge measurements to have a deep understanding of hydrological response.Based on the calibrated rainfall-runoff model,twelve different artificially set rainfall patterns were regarded as the input parameters to investigate the effect of rainfall regimes on peak discharge.The results show that the rainfall patterns have a significant effect on peak discharge.The rainfall regimes which have higher peak rainfall intensity and peak rainfall point occur at the later part of rainfall process are easy to generate larger peak discharge in the condition of the same cumulative rainfall and duration.Then,in order to explore the relationship between rainfall characteristics and peak discharge under different cumulative precipitation and different duration,167 measured rainfall events were also collected.On the basis of rainfall depth,rainfall duration,and maximum hourly intensity,all the rainfall events were classified into four categories by using K-mean clustering.Rainfall regime 1 was composed of rainfall events with a moderate mean P(precipitation),a moderate D(duration),and a moderate I60(maximum hourly intensity).Rainfall regime 2 was the group of rainfall events with a high mean P,long D.Rainfall regime 3,however,had a low P and a long D.The characteristic of Rainfall regime 4 was high I60 and short duration with large P.The results show that the rainfall regime 2 and 4 are easier to generate peak discharge as the rainfall intensity plays an important role in generating peak discharge.The results in this study have implications for improving peak discharge prediction accuracy in debris flow gully.

CUTTING REGULARITY AND DISCHARGE CHARACTERISTICS BY USING COMPOSITE COOLING LIQUID IN WIRE CUT ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE MACHINE WITH HIGH WIRE TRAVELING SPEED

The analysis of cutting regularity is provided through using and comparing two typical cooling liquids. It is proved that cutting regularity is greatly affected by cooling liquid＇s washing ability. Discharge characteristics and theoretic analysis between two electrodes are also discussed based on discharge waveform. By using composite cooling liquid which has strong washing ability, the efficiency in the first stable cutting phase has reached more than 200 mm^2/min, and the roughness of the surface has reached Ra〈0.8 μm after the fourth cutting with more than 50 mm^2/min average cutting efficiency. It is pointed out that cutting situation of the wire cut electrical discharge machine with high wire traveling speed （HSWEDM） is better than the wire cut electrical discharge machine with low wire traveling speed （LSWEDM） in the condition of improving the cooling liquid washing ability. The machining indices of HSWEDM will be increased remarkably by using the composite cooling liquid.

Discharge characteristics of different lightning air terminals under composite voltages

Different types of lightning air terminals have been designed over the years.Concern regarding the effect of different types of air terminals,especially the early streamer emission(ESE)-type,remains controversial.This paper describes the discharge characteristics of different types of air terminals,two of which are quite similar to the ESE-type dynasphere,and concludes that the tested non-standard air terminals have discharge characteristics similar to those of Franklin rods and that their lightning protection performance should be similar.

Discharge Characteristics of SF_6 in a Non-Uniform Electric Field Under Repetitive Nanosecond Pulses

The characteristics of high pressure sulphur hexafluoride（SF6） discharges in a highly non-uniform electric field under repetitive nanosecond pulses are investigated in this paper.The influencing factors on discharge process,such as gas pressure,pulse repetition frequency（PRF）,and number of applied pulses,are analyzed.Experimental results show that the corona intensity weakens with the increase of gas pressure and strengthens with the increase of PRF or number of applied pulses.Spark discharge images suggest that a shorter and thicker discharge plasma channel will lead to a larger discharge current.The number of applied pulses to breakdown descends with the increase of PRF and ascends with the rise of gas pressure.The reduced electric field（E/p） decreases with the increase of PRF in all circumstances.The experimental results provide significant supplements to the dielectric characteristics of strongly electronegative gases under repetitive nanosecond pulses.

Electrical Characteristics of Pulsed Corona Discharge Plasmas in Chitosan Solution

Pulsed discharge plasma has exhibited active potential to prepare low molecular weight chitosan. In the present study, the viscosity of ehitosan solution was decreased noticeably after treated with pulsed corona discharge plasma. An experimental investigation on electrical characteristics of pulsed corona discharge plasma in chitosan solution was conducted with a view toward getting insight into discharge process. Factors affecting I-V curve, single pulse injec- tion energy and pulse width were studied. Experimental results showed positive effect of pulsed peak voltage on discharge plasma in chitosan solution. Pulse-forming capacitor greatly influenced the discharge form, and 4 nF was observed as a suitable value for efficiently generating stable discharge plasmas. As the electrode distance was larger than 10 ram, it had slight impact on dis- charge plasma due to the excellent conductive-property of chitosan solution. The injection energy significantly increased with air flow rate, while the pulse width hardly changed as the air flow rate increased from 0.5 m^3/h to 1.0 m^3/h. This study is expected to provide reference for promoting the application of pulsed corona discharge plasma to ehitosan solution treatment.

Simulation Studies of Rib Structure Effect on Discharge Characteristics of Plasma Display Panel

To investigate the effect of the rib structure on the discharge characteristics of the plasma display panel, the potential distribution, particles density distribution and ions incident angle distribution were examined by simulation of a two-dimensional particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo collision, with two kinds of rib structure： the stripe rib structure and the Waffle rib structure. The results showed that the distribution of electric potential at the corner of the discharge cell was almost the same for these two rib structures while in the centre there was a difference between these two rib structures. The striation phenomenon could be observed in both cases. The distribution of density also indicated that the striation phenomenon was accompanied by the firing of discharge, and the Waffle rib structure might reduce the density humps. In the cell with a stripe rib structure, the profiles of the surface charge density along the sustained dielectric layer presented a better fluctuating distribution than that in the cell with a Waffle rib structure. The spatial potential and particle density in the discharge bulk showed that the Waffle ribs could weaken the striation phenomenon, which could be explained by the decrease in the particle numbers in the discharge cell. The simulation results of the ion incident angle showed that most ions impacted the sustained dielectric layer in the normal stripe rib cell with an incident angle in the range of 6° to 19° while with the Waffle rib structure the incident angle of most ions was in the range of 4° to 19°. The Waffle rib structure did not affect the angle distribution of incident ions significantly.

Preparation of Li-B Alloy and Study of Its Microstructure and Discharge Characteristics

A Li-B alloy has been prepared using a pretreated amorphous B powder and pure Li ingot as starting materials by continually slow addition of B powder and intensified stirring in the process of melting. The microstructure and the discharge characteristic of the materials have been investigated- Results show that the problem of temperature control in synthesis would be modified by means of continual addition of B powder, the Li7B6 would be more finely distributed in the metal Li by means of intensified stirring. The discharge characteristic of the Li-B alloy using amorphous B as starting materials is almost the same with that of using crystalline B.

Generation characteristics of a metal ion plasma jet in vacuum discharge

To improve the performance of a metal ion plasma jet in vacuum discharge, an anode-insulated cone-cylinder electrode with insulating sleeve is proposed in this paper. Discharge characteristics and generation characteristics of plasma of the electrode are investigated, effects of diameter of insulating sleeve, variety of cathode material and length of the insulating sleeve on characteristics of metal ion plasma jet are discussed. Results indicate that a directional and steady plasma jet is formed by using the novel electrode with insulating sleeve under high vacuum conditions. Moreover, the properties of metal ion plasma jet are improved by using the aluminum cathode and thin and long insulating sleeve. The study provides strong support for research of vacuum metal ion plasma thruster and ion implantation technology.

Characteristics of charge and discharge of PMMA samples due to electron irradiation

In this study, using a comprehensive numerical simulation of charge and discharge processes, we investigate the formation and evolution of negative charge and discharge characteristics of a grounded PMMA film irradiated by a non- focused electron beam. Electron scattering and transport processes in the sample are simulated with the Monte Carlo and the finite-different time-domain （FDTD） methods, respectively. The properties of charge and discharge processes are presented by the evolution of internal currents, charge quantity, surface potential, and discharge time. Internal charge accumulation in the sample may reach saturation by primary electron （PE） irradiation providing the charge duration is enough. Internal free electrons will run off to the ground in the form of leakage current due to charge diffusion and drift during the discharge process after irradiation, while trapped electrons remain. The negative surface potential determined by the charging quantity decreases to its saturation in the charge process, and then increases in the discharge process. A larger thickness of the PMMA film will result in greater charge amount and surface potential in charge saturation and in final discharge state, while the electron mobility of the material has little effects on the final discharge state. Moreover, discharge time is less for smaller thickness or larger electron mobility. The presented results can be helpful for estimating and weakening the charging of insulating samples especially under the intermittent electron beam irradiation in related surface analysis or measurement.

Particle-in-cell simulation for effect of anode temperature on discharge characteristics of a Hall effect thruster

Propellant gas flow has an important impact on the ionization and acceleration process of Hall effect thrusters （HETs）. In this paper, a particle-in-cell numerical method is used to study the effect of the anode temperature, i.e., the flow speed of the propellant gas, on the discharge characteristics of a HET. The simulation results show that, no matter the magnitude of the discharge voltage, the calculated variation trends of performance parameters with the anode temperature are in good agreement with the experimental ones presented in the literature. Further mechanism analysis indicates that the magnitude of the electron temperature is responsible for the two opposing variation laws found under different discharge voltages. When the discharge voltage is low, the electron temperature is low, and so is the intensity of the propellant ionization; the variation of the thruster performance with the anode temperature is thereby determined by the variation of the neutral density that affects the propellant utilization efficiency. When the discharge voltage is high, the electron temperature is large enough to guarantee a high degree of the propellant utilization no matter the magnitude of the anode temperature. The change of the thruster performance with the anode temperature is thus dominated by the change of the electron temperature and consequently the electron-neutral collisions as well as the electron cross-field mobility that affect the current utilization efficiency.

Effect of UV radiation aging on creepage discharge characteristics of high temperature vulcanized silicon rubber at high altitude

The physicochemical properties and creepage discharge characteristics of aged high temperature Vulca nized(HTV)silicone rubber materials were investigated by ultraviolet radiati on(UV)aging method in this study.The experimental results show that as the aging time increases,the creepage discharge flashover voltage increases first and then decreases.But the aging time has little effect on the creepage discharge inception voltage.With the aging time prolonged,the discharge endurance time of HTV silicone rubber is shortened,and the creepage discharge development velocity is accelerated.In the short time of applying voltage to aging material,the magnitude of discharge in creases rapidly.According to the partial discharge characteristic parameters of creepage discharge,the whole creepage discharge process is partitioned into four stages.Compared with unaged HTV silicone rubber,the aged HTV silicone rubber has less fluctuation in performance parameters and a clear trend.The study found that UV aging not only affects the physicochemical and hydrophobic properties of the HTV silicone rubber,but also accelerates the development of creepage discharge under AC voltage.

Structural characteristics of spherical Ni(OH)_2 and its charge/discharge process mechanism

Spherical Ni（OH）2 particles were prepared by an aqueous solution precipitation route. The structure of spherical Ni（OH）2 was investigated by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy and compared with that of traditional Ni（OH）2. The results show that the spherical nickel hydroxide consists of （Ni（OH）2） spheres with a reticulate structure of platelet-like, which is almost arranged radially and the crystalline grains intervene and connect with each other to form a three-dimensional net. The spherical Ni（OH）2 particle is full of pores, crannies between cleave planes. It is supposed that this structure is beneficial to the structural stability for the spherical particles during the charge/discharge processes and can improve the cycle life of the electrode; the pores and the crannies in spherical particles can shorten the proton diffusion distance and speed its velocity, which may result in that the local polarization is lowered. The electrochemical performances of the spherical Ni（OH）2 are improved by enhancing the conducting properties of the crystalline lattice due to its quick proton diffusion.

A study of the influence of different grid structures on plasma characteristics in the discharge chamber of an ion thruster

The grid structure has significant effects on the discharge characteristics of an ion thruster.The discharge performances of a 30 cm diameter ion thruster with flat,convex and concave grids are studied.The analysis results show that the discharge chamber with a convex grid has a larger’magnetic-field free area’than the others,and the parallelism of the magnetic-field isopotential lines and anode is generally the same in the three models.Plasma densities of the three structures at the grid outlet are in the range of 3.1×1016-6.9×1017m-3.Along the thruster axis direction,the electron temperature in the chamber with the convex and concave grids is in the range of 3.3-3.5 eV,while that with a flat grid is lower,in the range of 3.1-3.5 eV.In addition,the convex and the concave grids have better uniform distribution of electron temperature.Moreover,the collision frequency ratios show that the axial degree of ionization of the three models is the highest,and the flat grid has the highest discharge efficiency,followed by the convex grid and the concave grid is the least efficient.The test and simulation results of the 30 cm diameter ion thruster with the convex grid show that the measurement and calculation results are 3.67 A and 3.44 A,respectively,and the error above mainly comes from the ignorance of the doubly charged ions and parameter settings in the model.The comparison error between the simulation and measurement of beam current density is mainly caused by the actual thermal deformation of the grids during the discharge process,which leads to the change in electric potential distribution and variation of the focusing characteristics of the grids.Upon consideration of discharge performance and the thermal grid gap variation,it can be concluded that the flat and concave grids are more suitable for small-diameter ion thrusters,while the convex grid is a more reasonable choice for the higher-power and larger-diameter thrusters.

Investigation of optimum discharge characteristics and chemical activity of AC driven air plasma jet and its anticancer effect

In this study,we investigated the effects of the quartz tube diameter,air flow rate,and applied voltage on the characteristics of an air plasma jet to obtain the optimized discharge characteristics.The physicochemical properties and concentration of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species(RONS)in plasma-activated medium(PAM)were characterized to explore their chemical activity.Furthermore,we investigated the inactivation effect of air plasma jet on tumour cells and their corresponding inactivation mechanism.The results show that the tube diameter plays an important role in sustaining the voltage of the air plasma jet,and the gas flow rate affects the jet length and discharge intensity.Additionally,the air plasma jet discharge displays two modes,namely,ozone and nitrogen oxide modes at high and low gas flow rates,respectively.Increasing the voltage increases the concentration of reactive species and the length of discharge.By evaluating the viability of A549 cells under different parameters,the optimal treatment conditions were determined to be a quartz tube diameter of 4 mm,gas flow rate of 0.5 SLM,and voltage of 18 k V.Furthermore,an air plasma jet under the optimized conditions effectively enhanced the chemical activity in PAM and produced more aqueous RONS.The air plasma jet induced significant cytotoxicity in A549 cancer cells after plasma treatment.H_(2)O_(2) and NO_(2) are regarded as key factors in promoting cell inactivation.The present study demonstrates the potential use of tumour cell therapy by atmospheric air PAM,which aids a better understanding of plasma liquid chemistry.

The Characteristics of Dielectric Barrier Discharge and its Influence on the Excimer XeCl Emission

In this work, the influence of discharge modes on the excimer XeCl emission (308 nm) has been studied by adding helium gas into the xenon and chlorine mixture. It is found that the transition from filament discharge to glow /filament - combined discharge leads to the decrease in excimer emission. We are the first one to use a flowing water film as an outer transparent electrode, and achieve a higher UV intensity, compared with the case by using a metal mesh as the outer electrode. The influence of the gas temperature both in the reactor Tg and in a discharge channel Tc on the excimer emission has been analyzed preliminarily. Finally, it has been expected that the replacement of chlorine gas Cl2 by another chlorine gas may reduce the heat generated in the discharge processes and give rise to the excimer XeCl* radiation.

Effects of Xe Gas Content and Total Gas Pressure on the Discharge Characteristics of Colour Plasma Display Panels

The effects of the Xe gas content and total gas pressure on the discharge characteristics of colour plasma display panels including the sustaining voltage margin, white-field chromaticity, discharge time lag （DTL）, discharge current peak, and full-width-at-half-maximum （FWHM） of the discharge current pulse, are experimentally studied. The results indicate that as the Xe gas content in the He-Ne-Xe gas mixture or total pressure increases, the sustaining voltage margin increases, the white-field chromaticity improves, and the discharge current peak has a maximum value, while DTL and FWHM have a minimum value. The mean electron energy in the gas mixture discharge is also calculated through a numerical solution of Boltzmann equation. The experimental results are explained from a view of the mean electron energy variations with the Xe gas content and total gas pressure.

Study of the Characteristics of DC and ICP Hybrid Discharge Plasmas

In this paper, the double-discharge plasma generated by radio frequency （RF） and direct current （DC） has been investigated. In comparison with their single-frequency counterpart, the interaction between the two excitations is significant and beneficial. The results show that the RF discharge can effectively increase the DC discharge current and decrease the DC voltage; meanwhile the DC discharge is favorable to feed abundant high energy seed electrons to the ICP discharge sustaining at 13.56 MHz for the latter to acquire higher plasma density and lower plasma potential by increasing the ionization rate. The innovative design has been demonstrated to facilitate more homogeneous performance with higher plasma density.

Simulation analysis on microscopic discharge characteristics of the bipolar corona of a floating conductor

A floating conductor exhibits a bipolar corona phenomenon with microscopic discharge characteristics that are still unclear.In this study,a plasma simulation model of the bipolar corona with 108 chemical reaction equations is established by combining hydrodynamics and plasma chemical reactions.The evolution characteristics of electrons,positive ions,negative ions and neutral particles,as well as the distribution characteristics of space charges are analyzed,and the evolutionary flow of microscopic particles is summarized.The results indicate that the positive end of the bipolar corona initiates discharge before the negative end,but the plasma chemistry at the negative end is more vigorous.The electron generation rate can reach 1240 mol(m^(3) s)^(-1),and the dissipation rate can reach 34 mol(m^(3) s)^(-1).The positive ion swarm is dominated by O_(4)^(+),and the maximum generation rate can reach 440 mol((m^(3) s)^(-1).The negative ion swarm is mainly O_(2) and O_(4).The O_(2) content is approximately 1.5-3 times that of O_(4),and the maximum reaction rate can reach 51 mol(m^(3) s)^(-1).The final destination of neutral particles is an accumulation in the form of O_(3) and NO,and the amount of O3 produced is approximately 4-6 times that of NO.The positive end of the bipolar corona is dominated by positive space charges,which continue to develop and spread outwards in the form of a pulse wave.The negative end exhibits a space charge distribution structure of concentrated positive charges and diffused negative charges.The validity of the microscopic simulation analysis is verified by the macroscopic discharge phenomenon.