Modeling plasma loudspeakers

Abstract

This paper deals with the acoustic modeling and measurement of a needle-to-grid plasma loudspeaker using a negative Corona discharge. In the first part, we summarize the model described in previous papers, where the electrode gap is divided into a charged particle production region near the needle and a drift region which occupies most of the inter-electrode gap. In each region, interactions between charged and neutral particles in the ionized gas lead to a perturbation of the surrounding air, and thus generate an acoustic field. In each region, viewed as a separate acoustic source, an acoustical model requiring only a few parameters is proposed. In the second part of the paper, an experimental setup is presented for measuring acoustic pressures and directivities. This setup was developed and used to study the evolution of the parameters with physical properties, such as the geometrical and electrical configuration and the needle material. In the last part of this paper, a study on the electroacoustic efficiency of the plasma loudspeaker is described, and differences with respect to the design parameters are analyzed. Although this work is mainly aimed at understanding transduction phenomena, it may be found useful for the development of an audio loudspeaker.