Numerical and experimental determination of ionizing front velocity in a DC point-to-plane corona discharge

Abstract

The present work is devoted to the comparison between numerical and experimental determination of the velocity profile of an ionizing front (primary streamer) in a DC positive point-to-plane corona discharge in dry air at atmospheric pressure. The inception and propagation of the ionizing front is simulated by a one-dimensional model, using finite differences in a flux-corrected transport numerical scheme, including gamma -effects, and using experimental results concerning the swarm parameters. This model provides the spatio-temporal local field and charge density variations as well as the ionization front velocity. An optical measurement of the velocity is performed with the same discharge parameters, using a photomultiplier and a single-slit device. The technique is based on the experimental fact that, for a 1 cm gap in the 7-9 kV voltage range, the successive primary streamers corresponding to a given gap voltage display identical velocity profiles. As a result of the comparison, it appears that a precise coupling between simulation and experiment is possible. There is a voltage range (8-9 kV) within which good agreement is observed. The front velocity in most of the gap is about 2*107 cm s-1 and the profile presents an increase when the streamer leaves the point electrode and when it reaches the cathode. The possible mechanisms of these accelerations are discussed. The model may be applied to a large variation range for various parameters such as the nature of the gas, pressure, inter-electrode gap and curvature radius of the active electrode.