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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Decay characters of charges on an insulator surface after different types of discharge

In an insulating system including solid and gas dielectrics, discharge type has a strong impact on charge accumulation at the interface between two dielectrics, and hence charge decay. In order to clarify the influence, a surface charge measurement system was constructed, and three types of discharge, i.e. surface discharge, and low intensity and high intensity coronas, were introduced to cause surface charge accumulation. The decay behavior of surface charges after different types of discharge was obtained at various temperatures. It was found that total surface charges monotonically decreased with time, and the decay rate became larger as temperature increased. However, after a surface discharge or a high intensity corona, surface charge density in the local area appeared to fluctuate during the decay process. Compared with this, the fluctuation of surface charge density was not observed after a low intensity corona. The mechanisms of surface charge accumulation and decay were analysed. Moreover, a microscopic physical model involving charge production, accumulation, and decay was proposed so that the experimental results could be explained.

3D Carbon Frameworks for Ultrafast Charge/Discharge Rate Supercapacitors with High Energy‑Power Density

Carbon-based electric double layer capacitors(EDLCs)hold tremendous potentials due to their high-power performance and excellent cycle stability.However,the practical use of EDLCs is limited by the low energy density in aqueous electrolyte and sluggish diffusion kinetics in organic or/and ionic liquids electrolyte.Herein,3D carbon frameworks(3DCFs)constructed by interconnected nanocages(10-20 nm)with an ultrathin wall of ca.2 nm have been fabricated,which possess high specific surface area,hierarchical porosity and good conductive network.After deoxidization,the deoxidized 3DCF(3DCFDO)exhibits a record low IR drop of 0.064 V at 100 A g^−1 and ultrafast charge/discharge rate up to 10 V s^−1.The related device can be charged up to 77.4%of its maximum capacitance in 0.65 s at 100 A g^−1 in 6 M KOH.It has been found that the 3DCF-DO has a great affinity to EMIMBF4,resulting in a high specific capacitance of 174 F g^−1 at 1 A g^−1,and a high energy density of 34 Wh kg^−1 at an ultrahigh power density of 150 kW kg^−1 at 4 V after a fast charge in 1.11 s.This work provides a facile fabrication of novel 3D carbon frameworks for supercapacitors with ultrafast charge/discharge rate and high energy-power density.

A Repetitive Nanosecond Pulse Source for Generation of Large Volume Streamer Discharge

Using a unipolar pulse with the rise time and the pulse duration in the order of microsecond as the primary pulse, a nanosecond pulse with the repetitive frequency of several kilohertz is generated by a spark gap switch. By varying both the inter-pulse duration and the pulse frequency, the voltage recovery rate of the spark gap switch is investigated at different working conditions such as the gas pressure, the gas composition as well as the bias voltage. The results reveal that either increase in gas pressure or addition of SF6 to the air can increase the voltage recovery rate. The effect of gas composition on the voltage recovery rate is discussed based on the transferring and distribution of the residual space charges. The repetitive nanosecond pulse source is also applied to the generation of large volume, and the discharge currents are measured to investigate the effect of pulse repetition rate on the large volume streamer discharge.

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.

The enhanced aerosol deposition by bipolar corona discharge arrays

The corona discharges provide an efficient way to induce precipitation or eliminate fog by increasing ion density in the open air.In this paper,one bipolar corona discharge array(positive and negative high voltage coupled simultaneously)which can generate high densities of positive and negative ions is developed.The comparison between bipolar corona discharge array and unipolar corona discharge array(positive or negative coupled only)indicates that bipolar corona discharge array can generate~3 times higher ion density than unipolar corona discharge array.More charged aerosols are produced through collisions between ions and aerosols.The collision rate between aerosols is increased substantially by the attractive forces between positively and negatively charged aerosols.The deposition of aerosols induced by bipolar discharges is 25.7%higher than that of unipolar discharges at the humidity super-saturation condition.Therefore,the bipolar corona discharge system is a new option for the large scale ion sources used for artificial weather modification.

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.

Theoretical Study on Electronic Gain-and-loss Properties of TEMPO and Its Derivates in Charge/Discharge Processes

Theoretical study on the electronic structures and related properties of 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl- l-piperidinyloxy （TEMPO） and its cationic lipid derivates in the charge/discharge processes has been carried out using the density functional theory （DFT） at the （U）B3LYP/6-31G（d,p） or 6-31＋G（d,p） level. The changes and regularities of geometric and electronic properties of these compounds in the charge/discharge processes were revealed in detail. The compu- tational results show that the substitute group plays a very important role in the electronic structures and related properties of TEMPOs during the charge/discharge processes. It is very interesting to find that after getting an electron, TEMPO is more stable in singlet state but the lipid is more stable in triplet state. For TEMPO, both the charge and the discharge processes greatly influence the electronic properties of N and O atoms of the radical part. For the cationic lipid, the discharge process mainly influences the pyridinium head and the charge process mainly influences the free radical head. Moreover, the solvent effect plays an important role in some bond lengths and the charge population of the free radical head. In addition, the UV-Vis absorption spectra simulated using TDDFT at the 6-31G（d,p） with the experimental ones. of TEMPO and the lipid were calculated and or 6-31＋G（d,p） level, in satisfying agreement

Charge-discharge process of MnO_2 supercapacitor

Mechanochemical synthesis of α-MnO2 was carried out with KMnO4 and Mn(CH3COO)2 in 1:1 mole ratio. The electrochemical performance of MnO2 electrode was investigated by cyclic voltammograms and alternating current impedance. The charge-discharge process of MnO2 supercapacitor in 6 mol/L KOH was studied within 1.2 V at 200 mA/g, suggesting that it displays double-layer capacibility in low potential scope and pseudo-capacitance properties in high potential scope. It is found that Mn3O4, an electrochemical inert, mainly forms in the initial 40 charge-discharge cycles. During cycling, the pseudo-capacitance properties disappear and the discharge curves are close to ideal ones, indicating double-layer capability. The maximum capacitance of MnO2 electrode is as high as 416 F/g, and retains 240 F/g after 200 cycles. The equivalent series resistance increases from 17 to 41 Ω.

Effect of Barrier Materials on Discharge Properties in Air at Low Pressure

Dielectric barrier discharge(DBD) is widely investigated in order to obtain uniform low-temperature plasma.Many studies have proved that some barrier materials,especially electrets,can improve the uniformity of discharge.It is regarded as an available way to get atmospheric pressure glow discharge(APGD).In this paper,discharge forms with 4 different barrier materials(alumina,quartz,PTFE and PET) are investigated,and the transition of discharge form depending on the air pressure are recorded to estimate the influence of barrier materials on discharge.By using electrets as barrier materials,homogeneous discharges can be obtained in a more wide pressure range.Under the same experimental conditions,discharges with electrets are more uniform or have larger uniform areas due to the storage and desorption of charges on the surface of electrets.The electrons deposited in the surface layer can be released on next half cycle when the polarity of the applied voltage changes,and provide a number of seed electrons,which makes the discharge more homogeneous.The capacitance and the permittivity of barrier materials have no effect on the discharge form directly.

Comparison Between Thermally Stimulated Discharge Method and Photo-stimulated Discharge Method for Measuring Space Charge Traps Energy

The space charge behavior of a dielectric under HVDC is influenced by the charge trap energy distribution in it. Hence, we in- vestigated the charge trap distributions in several kinds of typical polymer materials using thermally stimulated discharge (TSD) and photo-stimulated discharge (PSD) methods, respectively. The experimental results show that,there is a significant difference between the trap energy distributions obtained by the two methods, but the difference decreases with the increase of the melting point of polymers. This is attributed to the change of the trap center environment during TSD caused by the increasing movements of both main chains and branched chains in polymers. PSD method is more accurate for investigating charge trap distribution in dielectrics, especially for polymers with low melting points.

Electrical and thermal characterization of near-surface electrical discharge plasma actuation driven by radio frequency voltage at low pressure

The electrical and thermal characterization of near-surface electrical discharge plasma driven by radio frequency voltage are investigated experimentally in this paper. The influences of operating pressure, electrode distance, and duty cycle on the discharge are studied. When pressure reaches 60 Ton. （1 Torr= 1.33322 x 102 Pa） the transition from diffuse glow mode to constricted mode occurs. With the operating pressure varying from 10 Tort to 60 Torr, the discharge energy calculated from the charge-voltage （Q-V） Lissajous figure decreases rapidly, while it remains unchanged between 60 Torr and 460 Torr. Under certain experimental conditions, there exists an optimized electrode distance （8 mm）. As the duty cycle of applied voltage increases, the voltage-current waveforms and Q-V Lissajous figures show no distinct changes.

Interaction between Adjacent Lightning Discharges in Clouds

Using a 3D lightning radiation source locating system （LLS）, three pairs of associated lightning discharges （two or more adjacent lightning discharges following an arbitrary rule that their space-gap was less than 10 km and their time-gap was less than 800 ms） were observed, and the interaction between associated lightning discharges was analyzed. All these three pairs of associated lightning discharges were found to involve three or more charge regions （the ground was considered as a special charge region）. Moreover, at least one charge region involved two lightning discharges per pair of associated lightning discharges. Identified fl＇om electric field changes, the subsequent lightning discharges were suppressed by the prior lightning discharges. However, it is possible that the prior lightning discharge provided a remaining discharge channel to facilitate the subsequent lightning discharge. The third case provided evidence of this possibility. Together, the results suggested that, if the charges in the main negative charge region can be consumed using artificial lightning above the main negative charge regions, lightning accidents on the ground could be greatly reduced, on the condition that the height of the main negative charge region and the charge intensity of the lower positive charge region are suitable.

Numerical Simulation of Properties of Charged Particles Initiated by Underwater Pulsed Discharge

Governing conservation equations for energy, momentum, mass and charge were deduced. Based upon these equations and the Saha equation, the particle density, temperature and pressure of the channel initiated by underwater pulsed discharge, are simulated. Influence of temperature and pressure on particles density is also analyzed. Some of the simulation results are in an agreement with experimental results. The results will be helpful in further understanding of the formation mechanism of underwater pulsed discharge plasma.

Effect of Space Charge on the Propagation Path of Air Gap Discharge

The existence of space charge may be addressed as one of the reasons that could cause shielding failure of transmission lines. In order to study the effect of space charge on discharge propagation path, a new experimental system, including mainly DC high voltage generator, impulse voltage generator as well as rod-plane electrode, has been established. The space charge was generated around the rod by means of pre-applying DC high voltage, and the air gap dis- charge experiments were conducted with and without pre-applying DC high voltage, respectively. Meanwhile, high speed cameras worked simultaneously from the front and lateral side to record the discharge propagation path so as to obtain the curvature. After statistical analysis, it is shown that the curvature increases in the middle and lower portions of the propagation path when the effect of space charge is taken into account.

Characteristics of Nanosecond Pulsed Discharges in Atmospheric Helium Microplasmas

Microplasmas are very interesting due to their unique properties and achievable regimes maintained at atmospheric pressures. Due to the small scales, numerical modeling could contribute to the understanding of underlying phenomena as it provides access to local parameters--and complements experimental global characteristics. A self-consistent formalism, applied to nanosecond pulsed atmospheric non-equilibrium helium plasmas, reveals that several successive discharges can persist as a result of a combined volume and dielectric surface effects. The valuable insights provided by the spatiotemporal simulation results show the critical importance of coupled gas and plasma dynamics--namely gas heating and electric field reversals.