Novel Method of Rebound Tailing Pulse (RTP) for Water Dissociation

Abstract

Simple low-temperature pulsed power dissociation method for high resistive liquid is proposed in this article. Active high voltage rebound tailing pulse (RTP) diodes are adopted to conventional high voltage pulse power sources. In order to explain this method, the study was performed using deionized water (DIW) (high resistive $>17~\text{M}\Omega \cdot $ cm) electrolysis with two immersed electrodes. The forward pulses, the full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of 400 ns and forward voltage (7 kV) with rising-up ratio ( dV/dt ) of 1011 V/s, were applied to the electrodes. When a 5 kV RTP diode was simply adopted to this electrical circuit and DIW load in series, the high forward voltage pulse and continuous high reverse current were applied to this circuit. Then, H2 was generated at the anode electrode and OH radical (OH) in the water vessel. Those phenomena were apparently dependent on the anode electrode area. At the beginning of the forwarded high voltage application, the circuit behaved as capacitance load with generated ions and built up charges at the interface between DIW and the electrode. Continuous rebounded high reverse voltage and highly built-up reverse recovery charges induce avalanche breakdown of RTP diode. The rebounded electrical current was found to be collected in the circuit, accompanied by the generation of hydrogen and OH, as well as the tailing current flowing at the interface as a resistive load. In consequence, we point out that rebounded electrons injected from the surrounding water to the anode electrode interface induced the water electrolysis characteristically, according to RTP-diode inserted in the circuit.