Generation of non-thermal plasmas over large and complex surfaces

Abstract

Atmospheric non-thermal plasma is gaining increasing attention for various applications including food, medical and healthcare technologies because of its unique capability in producing reactive species. In spite of its promising potential, generating non-thermal plasma over large and complex geometries such as the human body or a narrow channel is still challenging and is limiting the use of atmospheric non-thermal plasma. In this study, we propose two new electrode systems, printed and knitted electrodes, to enhance scalability and flexibility of a conventional atmospheric non-thermal plasma source. The flexibilities of both electrode systems are quantified for varying curvatures to generate non-thermal plasma over complex geometries. Moreover, both electrode systems are assessed for varying system size to assess the ability of large scale plasma geometries. Electrical and optical diagnostics including Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES), are used to monitor the property of plasma generated by these systems. The present study shows that both printed and knitted electrodes can produce non-thermal plasma, however both have certain limitations. Concluding from these findings, a schematic of new hybrid electrode system for the treatment of large surfaces or narrow long channels is proposed to eradicate these limitations.