On the mechanism of atmospheric pressure plasma plume

Abstract

For the purpose of unveiling the parameters influencing the length of atmospheric pressure plasma plume, an over 165 cm long argon plasma plume is generated in the quartz tube attached to the nozzle of the device. Dependence of plasma length on discharge parameters such as applied voltage, frequency of power supply, and argon gas flow rate was investigated. Experimental results indicated that (a) the applied voltage plays crucial roles on plasma plume length, that is, the plasma plume length exponentially increases with the applied voltage, (b) the plasma plume length increases with frequency, more obviously when the applied voltage is higher, (c) the plasma plume length increases with argon gas flow rate, reaches its maximum at critical value of the gas flow rate, and then decreases again. An evaluation of the physical phenomena involved in streamer propagation, particularly of the energy balance, was investigated. The numerical results were qualitatively consistent with previous experimental results by successfully indicating the high velocity of “plasma bullet” and providing physical mechanism of energy balance determining streamer length.

One atmospheric pressure plasma jet with two modes at a frequency of several tens kHz

“…There is a trend to develop atmospheric pressure plasma sources to replace those operated in vacuum systems in industrial plasma engineering. 2,3 In this kind of jet, the electric field and the flow field are parallel. This means separating the region of plasma production from that of plasma application.…”

Simplified Model Involving Energy Balance Mechanism for Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma Plume Generated in Quartz Tube

“…The influence of the quartz tube on the plasma plume propagation remains unknown. Thirdly, the state of gas flow (laminar or turbulent) strongly influences the plasma length, 21,55) but the process is too complicated to be involved. For the sake of simplicity, but to feasibly study the effect of the quartz tube, which influences electron energy loss, the model is simplified.…”

“…The state of gas flow (laminar or turbulent) strongly influences the plasma length as indicated from experimental results, 21,55) which physically implies that energy loss owing to the turbulent state of gas flow intensely affects the plasma propagation. However, this kind of energy loss mechanism is too complicated to be involved in the energy balance equation during plasma propagation.…”

An atmospheric neon plasma jet in air driven by pulse-wave-modulated sinusoidal high voltage

“…Recently, plasma jets have been attracting significant attentions, due to its nonthermal mechanisms and corresponding effects, especially its wide applications in biomedicine [1][2]. There are many researches about helium and argon plasma jet, but a few reports about neon plasma jet [3][4][5][6]. Different plasma jets may have different characteristics.…”