Dielectric-barrier discharges (silent discharges) are used on a large industrial scale. They combine the advantages of non-equilibrium plasma properties with the ease of atmospheric-pressure operation. A prominent feature is the simple scalability from small laboratory reactors to large industrial installations with megawatt input powers. Efficient and cost-effective all-solid-state power supplies are available. The preferred frequency range lies between 1 kHz and 10 MHz, the preferred pressure range between 10 kPa and 500 kPa. Industrial applications include ozone generation, pollution control, surface treatment, high power CO2 lasers, ultraviolet excimer lamps, excimer based mercury-free fluorescent lamps, and flat large-area plasma displays. Depending on the application and the operating conditions the discharge can have pronounced filamentary structure or fairly diffuse appearance. History, discharge physics, and plasma chemistry of dielectric-barrier discharges and their applications are discussed in detail.

https://www3.nd.edu/~sst/teaching/AME60637/reading/2003_PCPP_Kogelschatz_dbd_review.pdf

Dielectric-barrier Discharges: Their History, Discharge Physics, and Industrial Applications

In recent decades particular interest in applications of nonequilibrium plasma for the problems of plasma-assisted ignition and plasma-assisted combustion has been observed. A great amount of experimental data has been accumulated during this period which provided the grounds for using low temperature plasma of nonequilibrium gas discharges for a number of applications at conditions of high speed flows and also at conditions similar to automotive engines. The paper is aimed at reviewing the data obtained and discusses their treatment. Basic possibilities of low temperature plasma to ignite gas mixtures are evaluated and historical references highlighting pioneering works in the area are presented. The first part of the review discusses plasmas applied to plasma-assisted ignition and combustion. The paper pays special attention to experimental and theoretical analysis of some plasma parameters, such as reduced electric field, electron density and energy branching for different gas discharges. Streamers, pulsed nanosecond discharges, dielectric barrier discharges, radio frequency discharges and atmospheric pressure glow discharges are considered. The second part depicts applications of discharges to reduce the ignition delay time of combustible mixtures, to ignite transonic and supersonic flows, to intensify ignition and to sustain combustion of lean mixtures. The results obtained by different authors are cited, and ways of numerical modelling are discussed. Finally, the paper draws some conclusions on the main achievements and prospects of future investigations in the field.

/pdf/plasma-assisted-ignition-and-combustion-2i4ybn8440.pdf

Plasma assisted ignition and combustion

We present simultaneous optical, electrical, and thrust measurements of an aerodynamic plasma actuator. These measurements indicate that the plasma actuator is a form of the dielectric barrier discharge, whose behavior is governed primarily by the buildup of charge on the dielectric-encapsulated electrode. Our measurements reveal the temporal and macroscale spatial structure of the plasma. Correlating the morphology of the plasma and the electrical characteristics of the discharge to the actuator performance as measured by the thrust produced indicates a direct coupling between the interelectrode electric field (strongly modified by the presence of the plasma) and the charges in the plasma. Our measurements discount bulk heating or asymmetries in the structure of the discharge as mechanisms for the production of bulk motion of the surrounding neutral air, although such asymmetries clearly exist and impact the effectiveness of the actuator.

https://www3.nd.edu/~sst/teaching/AME60637/reading/2004_AIAA_Enloe_et_al_dbd.pdf

Mechanisms and Responses of a Single Dielectric Barrier Plasma Actuator: Plasma Morphology

The single dielectric barrier discharge plasma, a plasma sustainable at atmospheric pressure, has shown considerable promise as a flow control device operating at modest (tens of watts) power levels. Measurements are presented of the development of the plasma during the course of the discharge cycle, and the relevance of these measurements to the modeling of the actuator's electrical properties is discussed. Experimental evidence is presented strongly pointing to the electric field enhancement near the leading edge of the actuator as a dominant factor determining the effectiveness of momentum coupling into the surrounding air

Mechanisms and Responses of a Dielectric Barrier Plasma Actuator: Geometric Effects

As low-temperature nonequilibrium plasmas come to play an increasing role in biomedical applications, reliable and user-friendly sources need to be developed. These plasma sources have to meet stringent requirements such as low temperature (at or near room temperature), no risk of arcing, operation at atmospheric pressure, preferably hand-held operation, low concentration of ozone generation, etc. In this letter, we present a device that meets exactly such requirements. This device is capable of generating a cold plasma plume several centimeters in length. It exhibits low power requirements as shown by its current-voltage characteristics. Using helium as a carrier gas, very little ozone is generated and the gas temperature, as measured by emission spectroscopy, remains at room temperature even after hours of operations. The plasma plume can be touched by bare hands and can be directed manually by a user to come in contact with delicate objects and materials including skin and dental gum without causing any heating or painful sensation.

https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1016&context=ece_fac_pubs

Room-temperature atmospheric pressure plasma plume for biomedical applications

Dielectric barrier discharges (DBDs) are self-extinguishing discharges due to charge accumulation on dielectric surfaces. In order to take advantage of these surface charges also at a low repetition frequency, high-voltage unipolar square pulses (amplitude up to 15 kV, rise and fall time less than 20 ns) are applied to drive DBDs. For electrical diagnostics of this novel excitation method, a temporally dynamic model for diffuse DBDs is introduced, from which equations were derived which allow the calculation of internal electrical quantities in the discharge gap from measured external electrical quantities. It was found, following a primary discharge at the rising front or at the top of the voltage pulse, that a secondary discharge is induced at the end of the falling voltage flank without simultaneously consuming energy from the external circuit. The energy needed is provided by the accumulated surface and space charges left by the primary discharge, which are totally or partially lost under normal low-frequency sine or square wave excitation. Secondary discharges are observed in a wide range of electrode configurations, gases and gas pressures for both homogeneous and filamentary discharges. In the case of filamentary modes, secondary discharges are found to develop along the remaining channels of the preceding primary discharges. Experiments for ozone synthesis show an improved energy efficiency of 8-9 eV per ozone molecule, which is about 30% better than that achieved with sine wave excitation.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0022-3727/34/11/312/pdf

Excitation of dielectric barrier discharges by unipolar submicrosecond square pulses

In order to quantitatively describe the electrical working principles of dielectric barrier discharges (DBDs), a dynamic electrical model for homogeneous DBDs has been put forward that is composed of a new equivalent circuit for homogeneous DBDs and the equations derived from it. This model is a global and self-consistent model, valid for an arbitrary external excitation voltage. This model reveals instantaneous relations of internal electrical quantities in the gap (gap voltage, internal discharge current and internal power consumption process) to external electrical quantities (external voltage and external total current) and provides the theoretical fundamentals to calculate the temporal development processes of all internal electrical quantities in the discharge gap from the measured external voltage and external total current. The knowledge obtained of dynamic processes of DBDs in the discharge gap explains quantitatively the mechanisms that result in ignition, development and extinction of DBDs and provide physical interpretation of the measured external total current and other phenomena such as memory effect and multiple current pulses in one half period. In this model, several current terms (external total current, external displacement current, external discharge current, internal discharge current and internal displacement current) are introduced to distinguish the different currents involved in DBDs. Moreover, the equations for charge and energy deposition by one discharge and in one half period are derived. Applications of this model to studying a bipolar sine wave excited DBD and a unipolar pulse excited DBD are also included. This model has been proved to be a useful tool to understand DBDs better.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0022-3727/36/24/009/pdf

Electrical modelling of homogeneous dielectric barrier discharges under an arbitrary excitation voltage

Nonthermal gas discharges at atmospheric pressure, such as dielectric barrier discharges are currently investigated for low-temperature packaging sterilization in order to reach the conditions required for aseptic food packaging. In particular, understanding the basic sterilization mechanisms and the enhancement of the main bacterial reduction pathways are the goals of our investigations. For this purpose, germ reduction experiments were carried out with Bacillus Subtilis and Aspergillus Niger spores using different gas mixtures and plasma conditions with the direct and the indirect influence of barrier discharges. In order to analyze the contribution of UV radiation during plasma germ deactivation, experiments with different excimer UV lamps, also driven by barrier discharges in special UV-emitting gas mixtures, have been carried out. Results of germ reduction experiments using barrier discharges and prospects for atmospheric discharge systems, suitable for industrial packaging sterilization, are presented in this paper.

Reduction of Bacillus Subtilis and Aspergillus Niger spores using nonthermal atmospheric gas discharges

The possibility of removing toxic impurities from gaseous streams by electrical gas discharges has been investigated for almost a decade. Cold discharges, i.e. plasmas in which the electrons are not in thermal equilibrium with ions and molecules, seem to be a potential method for the conversion of (, ) in exhaust gases of cars or in flue gases of incineration plants. In this work we present a model for the temporal evolution of the plasma chemical processes in a dielectric barrier discharge in a mixture containing , , O and small amounts of NO, and optionally H (ethene). The results of the calculations are compared with our experimental data. Quantitative analysis of the reaction turnovers allows the identification of the main chemical pathways. Most of the conversion of is due to oxidation and only a small fraction is caused by chemical reduction. The complete removal of NO can be achieved at an energy expense of 5 to 10 eV per NO molecule if 2000 ppmv H are present in the gas stream. If H is not present 60 eV/NO are needed.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0022-3727/31/5/011/pdf

The influence of ethene on the conversion of in a dielectric barrier discharge

Excitation of dielectric barrier discharge xenon excimer lamps by unipolar short square pulses is studied in this paper. Two discharges with different polarity are excited by each voltage pulse (double discharge phenomenon). The primary discharge occurs at the top or at the rising flank of the applied unipolar square pulse, which is directly energized by the external circuit. The secondary discharge with the reversed polarity occurs at the falling flank or shortly after the falling flank end (zero external voltage) depending on the pulse width, which is energized by the energy stored by memory charges deposited by the primary discharge. Fast-speed ICCD imaging shows the primary discharge has a conic discharge appearance with a channel broadening on the anode side. This channel broadening increases with increasing the pulse top level. Only the anode-side surface discharge is observed in the primary discharge. The surface discharge on the cathode side which is present in bipolar sine voltage excitation is not observed. On the contrary, the secondary discharge has only the cathode-side surface discharge. The surface discharge on the anode side is not observed. The secondary discharge is much more diffuse than the primary discharge. Time-resolved emission measurement of double discharges show the secondary discharge emits more VUV xenon excimer radiation but less infrared (IR) xenon atomic emission than the primary discharge. It was found that the IR xenon atomic emission from the secondary discharge can be reduced by shortening the pulse width. The energy efficiency of unipolar-pulsed xenon excimer lamps (the overall energy efficiency of double discharges) is much higher than that obtained under bipolar sine wave excitation. The output VUV spectrum under unipolar pulse excitation is found to be identical to that under sine wave excitation and independent of injected electric power.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0022-3727/36/13/321/pdf

Manfred Neiger

Papers

Excitation of dielectric barrier discharges by unipolar submicrosecond square pulses

Electrical modelling of homogeneous dielectric barrier discharges under an arbitrary excitation voltage

Reduction of Bacillus Subtilis and Aspergillus Niger spores using nonthermal atmospheric gas discharges

The influence of ethene on the conversion of in a dielectric barrier discharge

Double discharges in unipolar-pulsed dielectric barrier discharge xenon excimer lamps