Numerical Study on Mechanism and Optimization of Pulsed Discharges Without Voltage Plateau Phase

Abstract

In recent years, pulsed discharges at atmospheric pressure have attracted extensive attention due to their remarkable discharge advantages. In this article, a fluid model is applied to investigate a new type of pulsed dielectric barrier discharge (DBD), characterized by a sharp rising phase and slow falling phase but without a plateau phase, which could be realized by using a circuit composed of a device called silicon diode for alternating current (SIDAC). Based on the computational data, the influences of voltage waveform on the plasma density and electric field are carefully discussed. The simulation results show that only one significant discharge event occurs during the voltage rising phase, which produces a large electron density with high electron temperature, but the secondary discharge current cannot be observed due to the slow voltage falling phase. We also qualitatively investigate the effects of discharge parameters on the plasma dynamics, such as the relative permittivity, barrier thickness, and repetitive frequency from simulation data, which agree well with the experimental observation. Based on the simulation results, the optimization of this pulsed discharges to enhance the electron density and improve the electron temperature is discussed, thus promoting the wide applications of the pulsed discharges.