The microplasma thruster (MPT) concept is a simple extension of a cold gas micronozzle propulsion device, where a direct-current microdischarge is used to preheat the gas stream to improve the specific impulse of the device. Here we study a prototypical MPT device using a detailed, self-consistently coupled plasma and flow computational model. The model describes the microdischarge power deposition, plasma dynamics, gas-phase chemical kinetics, coupling of the plasma phenomena with high-speed flow, and overall propulsion system performance. Compared to a cold gas micronozzle, a significant increase in specific impulse is obtained from the power deposition in the diverging section of the MPT nozzle. For a discharge voltage of 750 V, a power input of 650 mW, and an argon mass flow rate of 5 SCCM (SCCM denotes cubic centimeter per minute at STP), the specific impulse of the device is increased by a factor of ∼1.5 to about 74 s. The microdischarge remains mostly confined inside the micronozzle and operates in an abnormal glow discharge regime. Gas heating, primarily due to ion Joule heating, is found to have a strong influence on the overall discharge behavior. The study provides a validation of the MPT concept as a simple and effective approach to improve the performance of micronozzle cold gas propulsion devices.
We present a computational simulation study of non-equilibrium streamer discharges in a coaxial electrode and a corona geometry for automotive combustion ignition applications. The streamers propagate in combustible fuel-air mixtures at high pressures representative of internal combustion engine conditions. The study was performed using a self-consistent, two-temperature plasma model with finite-rate plasma chemical kinetics. Positive high voltage pulses of order tens of kV and duration of tens of nanoseconds were applied to the powered inner cylindrical electrode which resulted in the formation and propagation of a cathode-directed streamer. The resulting spatial and temporal production of active radical species such as O, H, and singlet delta oxygen is quantified and compared for lean and stoichiometric fuel-air mixtures. For the coaxial electrode geometry, the discharge is characterized by a primary streamer that bridges the inter-electrode gap and a secondary streamer that develops in the wake of the primary streamer. Most of the radicals are produced in the secondary streamer. For the corona geometry, only the primary streamer is observed and the radicals are produced throughout the length of the primary streamer column. The stoichiometry of the mixture was observed to have a relatively small effect on both the plasma discharge structure and the resulting yield of radical species.
Computational simulations of air glow discharge phenomena in the pressure range typical of plasma actuator applications for high speed flow control are presented. The model is based on a self-consistent, multispecies, and multitemperature continuum description of the plasma. A reduced air plasma model suitable for multidimensional simulations with 11 species and 21 gas phase chemical reactions is validated against experimental results in the literature. The discharge model predicts experimentally observed glow mode discharge operation, the current-voltage characteristics of the discharge, and spatial profiles of the electron temperature and positive ion number densities. For pressures of order 1 Torr, O2+ and N2+ are the dominant positive ion species in the discharge, and the concentration of O− negative ion is comparable to electron concentration. The two-dimensional structure of the discharge is predicted by the model is found to be in agreement with qualitative observations from the experiments.
The radial line slot antenna plasma source is a high-density microwave plasma source comprising a high electron temperature source region within the plasma skin depth from a coupling window and low electron temperature diffusion region far from the window. The plasma is typically comprised of inert gases like argon and mixtures of halogen or fluorocarbon gases for etching. Following the experimental study of Tian et al. [J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 24, 1421 (2006)], a two-dimensional computational model is used to describe the essential features of the source. A high density argon plasma is described using the quasi-neutral approximation and coupled to a frequency-domain electromagnetic wave solver to describe the plasma-microwave interactions in the source. The plasma is described using a multispecies plasma chemistry mechanism developed specifically for microwave excitation conditions. The plasma is nonlocal by nature with locations of peak power deposition and peak plasma density being very different. The spatial distribution of microwave power coupling depends on whether the plasma is under- or over-dense and is described well by the model. The model predicts the experimentally observed low-order diffusion mode radial plasma profiles. The trends of spatial profiles of electron density and electron temperature over a wide range of power and pressure conditions compare well with experimental results.
We present a self-consistent 2-D multispecies multitemperature model of dc nonequilibrium surface plasma discharge phenomena in the presence of a low-pressure imposed high-speed convective flow. For pressures of a few torr and voltages of a few kilovolts, a nonequilibrium glow discharge is generated between the electrodes. Peak charge densities in the discharge on the order of 10 14 − 10 16 m −3 , electron temperatures on the order of 1 eV, and gas temperatures on the order of 2000 K are observed. Increasing voltages are found to increase the charge density in the discharge and also cause a constriction of the discharge volume. The same trend is also observed with an increase in the discharge pressure. The discharge is highly asymmetric owing to the high-speed convective flow, with the discharge activity restricted to the flow downstream edge of the cathode surface. The convective flow also causes a quasi-neutral plasma-tail-like feature that provides a major loss mechanism for charged and neutral species in the discharge. Despite sufficient cathode surface area, the discharge operates in an abnormal glow mode, with a positive differential resistivity, owing to a flow-induced constricted cathode attachment. Relatively large cathode sheath dimensions on the order of 1 cm are observed with a net electrostatic forcing restricted to this region. The net electrostatic forcing is largely vertical toward the cathode surface, but also has a component in the direction against the flow.Index Terms-Glow discharge, high-speed flow control, selfconsistent plasma simulation.
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