Concentration Of Charged Particles Research Articles

Rheology and electrorheological effects of waxy oils with different carbon number distribution

High-voltage electric treatment is an emerging technology for enhancing the cold flowability of crude oil. The primary mechanism involves the accumulation of charged particles (resins and asphaltenes) onto wax particles under the electric field. This electrorheological effect varies with different oil compositions. We have investigated the impact of resins and asphaltenes on the electrorheological behaviors of waxy oils. However, the impact of the carbon number distribution of wax on this effect remains unexplored. Therefore, the objective of this work is to investigate the interaction between waxes with various carbon numbers and charged particles and its impact on the electrorheological behaviors of waxy oils. Model waxy oils containing distinct wax fractions (paraffin and microcrystalline waxes) and varying charged particle concentrations were prepared and studied. The results unveiled that microcrystalline wax model oils exhibited substantial reductions in viscosity and yield stress after electric treatment, up to 80% and 60%, respectively, surpassing the improvements observed in paraffin wax model oils which were less than 50%. This disparity is attributed to the better capacity of resins and asphaltenes to be eutectic with paraffin wax, improving the original flowability of paraffin wax model oil, thus involving fewer charged particles in the interaction with wax under electric treatment, resulting in a weakened electrorheological effect. Resins and asphaltenes struggle to form eutectic mixtures with microcrystalline wax, resulting in minimal flowability improvement of microcrystalline wax model oils by charged particles. Consequently, under the electric field, a substantial proportion of free resins and asphaltenes can interact with microcrystalline wax particles, leading to superior electrorheological effects in microcrystalline wax model oils.

Estimation Method of Charged Particle Concentration in Aircraft Engine Exhaust Based on Electric Field Detection

Aircraft engines, serving as the power core of aircraft, also constitute a significant source of potential malfunctions. The charge level of exhaust particles from aircraft engines serves as a crucial indicator of engine malfunction severity. This paper introduces a method for estimating the charge of exhaust particles based on electric field detection to monitor charged particles in the exhaust of aircraft engines. Initially, a mathematical model for estimating the charge of exhaust particles based on Gauss’s theorem is presented. Subsequently, an exhaust electric field induction device is designed, and the distribution of electric field sensors is studied, providing an overall design for the exhaust particle charge measurement system. Finally, the proposed method for estimating the charge of exhaust particles is analyzed through finite element simulation. The results indicate that the introduced aircraft engine exhaust particle charge estimation method based on electric field detection exhibits high accuracy and effectiveness. It offers a novel means for monitoring engine operation faults in aviation, with the potential for application in engine ground testing to further investigate engine state characterization technologies based on exhaust particle monitoring.

Seasonal charge distributions of submicron atmospheric particles in Yokohama, Japan

Charge distribution measurements are required to understand the spatiotemporal distribution of the number concentrations of submicron atmospheric particles that affect radiative forcing and particle deposition in human airways. The number concentrations of non-charged and charged particles within the 0.3–0.5 μm diameter (D) range were measured at Keio University in Yokohama, Japan, from June 2022 to January 2023 by combining a parallel-pate particle separator and optical particle counters to investigate critical parameters controlling the charging state of submicron atmospheric particles. The measurement uncertainties in the average charge number per particle (pave) and the standard deviation (1σ), derived from the charge distribution of the submicron particles, were within 15%. The monthly median values of 1σ increased in summer and decreased in winter and correlated with the water vapor amount and wind speed. The 1σ values in summer and winter, derived from the seasonally averaged charge distributions of particles, were close to those from the theoretically calculated charge distribution of particles within 0.387–0.5 μm D range and with D = 0.3 μm, respectively, suggesting that the observed particle charge distributions approached the stationary charge distribution for the effective D. In summer, the frequent transport of water molecules and ions from the Pacific Ocean causes efficient collisions between multiple ions and submicron particles with a larger effective D, which may expand the charge distribution of particles. The polarity ratio, the concentration of positively charged particles relative to that of negatively charged particles, was almost unity, indicating the well-balanced charge polarity of the submicron atmospheric particles. The polarity ratio and pave changed significantly during lightning events, indicating that the atmospheric particle charge balance broke. Our findings show that the charge distribution of submicron atmospheric particles can be partly controlled by meteorological parameters (e.g., absolute humidity) and the microphysical properties of the particles.

Numerical simulation of charged characteristics of scramjet combustion products

The combustion of the engine in the air vehicle causes the presence of charged particles in the jet stream, and the electric field displayed varies with engine type and fuel characteristics. In order to show the magnitude and distribution of charged particles in combustion products during scramjet operation, we constructed microphysical model and fluid calculation model based on the physical characteristics of supersonic combustion to simulate the variation of charged particles concentration in the scramjet combustion chamber and the charge density distribution outside the combustion chamber. The obtained results show that the charged particles in combustion products are mainly composed of ions, electrons, ion clusters, and charged soot particles. The electron concentration can be almost negligible at the exit of the combustion chamber. The other charged particles in the combustion products are ejected into the atmosphere with the jet. The charge density distribution of the jet has a certain symmetry in a short time due to the influence of the flow field. It is found that the type of fuel and the conductivity of the surface materials in the combustion chamber affect the electrified properties of the combustion products to some extent. This study has a reference value for further analysis of the detectable electric field generated during scramjet operation.

Dynamics of unipolar charged particles flowing through a cylindrical tube at high number concentrations

This work provides a theoretical and non-dimensional numerical analysis of the dynamics of gas-borne unipolar charged particles flowing through a cylindrical tube at high number concentrations. It is discovered that above a threshold input particle number concentration, the concentration at the exit of the tube is nearly constant and independent of further increase in the input. Based on a maximum of 2% sensitivity of the system, the threshold input number concentration is quantified for a tube of any length more than 40 × the radius. The theoretical analysis developed in this work is used to derive correlations for the threshold input concentration and the exit concentration, as well as show that the exit particle concentration is lower than the threshold input value by a factor of 20/PD, where PD is the well-known diffusive particle penetration. The analysis demonstrates that a constant concentration can occur if and only if the ratio of non-dimensional electric particle mobility to the Gormley-Kennedy diffusion parameter is above 74, which is a hitherto unexplored regime of charged aerosol flow dynamics. It is shown that the constant concentration can occur in compact tube designs (L/R<100) as long as the mass Peclet number of the particles is high and reducing the mass Peclet number to around 10 or below makes it impossible to obtain an input-independent number concentration. It is also shown that the Reynolds number of the flow has very little effect on the charged transport dynamics, where the order of magnitude of the input-independent number concentration is not highly sensitive to the Reynolds number, provided the system remains laminar. Finally, practical examples for designing instrumentation to generate a constant concentration of charged particles are discussed.

Assessment of the spatial distribution of low-temperature plasma parameters on plasma-beam installation

At present continue, studies of the interaction of plasma with structural materials of the first wall and divertor of the ITER international experimental fusion reactor on operating tokamaks and simulated plasma facilities. In the research of the interaction of plasma with the surface of candidate materials TNR an important role plasma parameters play. For determination of local values of the main plasma parameters there is a separate field of research – plasma diagnostics. Plasma diagnostics is the determination of local and instantaneous values of main its parameters: concentration and temperature of charged plasma particles, as well as the distribution functions of various plasma components by energies.This works presents the results of a research to the spatial distribution of local parameters (temperature electrons (Te) and plasma concentration (ne)) of a low-temperature plasma on a plasma-beam installation (PBI) with the help a movable Langmuir probe with the following geometrical parameters of the electrode: length – 4 mm; diameter 0.5 mm. The probe sweep was with the help a Keithley 6487 picoammeter. The processing of volt-ampere characteristics (VAC) was carried out by standard methods.To assess the spatial distribution of the above-mentioned parameters of low-temperature plasma, experiments were carried out with the location of the probe at a distance of 5 mm, 9 mm and 11 mm from the center of the plasma beam at different energies of the primary electron beam in the range from 0.5 keV to 5 keV.The experiments results showed a smooth decrease in plasma concentration in the radial direction.

A multiple-charging correction algorithm for a broad-supersaturation scanning cloud condensation nuclei (BS2-CCN) system

Abstract. High time resolution (∼1 s) of aerosol hygroscopicity and CCN activity can be obtained with a broad-supersaturation scanning cloud condensation nuclei (BS2-CCN) system. Based on a commercial CCNC (CCN counter), the newly designed diffusive inlet in the BS2-CCN realizes a broad-supersaturation distribution in a chamber with a stable, low sheath-to-aerosol-flow ratio (SAR). In this way, a monotonic relation between the activation fraction of aerosols (Fact) and critical activation supersaturation (Saerosol) can be obtained. The accuracy of the size-resolved aerosol hygroscopicity, κ, measured by the BS2-CCN system can be, however, hampered by multiply charged particles, i.e., resulting in the overestimation of κ values. As the BS2-CCN system uses multiple and continuous supersaturations in the chamber and the size-resolved Fact value is directly used to derive κ values, the multiple-charging correction algorithm of the traditional CCNC where single supersaturation is applied does not work for the BS2-CCN observation. Here, we propose a new multiple-charging correction algorithm to retrieve the true Fact value. Starting from the largest size bin, a new Fact value at a specific particle diameter (Dp) is updated from a measured activation spectrum after removing both aerosol and the CCN number concentration of multiply charged particles using a kernel function with a given particle number size distribution. We compare the corrected activation spectrum with laboratory aerosols for a calibration experiment and ambient aerosols during the 2021 Yellow-Sea Air Quality Studies (YES-AQ) campaign. It is noted that this algorithm is only applied to the monomodal particle distribution. The difference between corrected and measured κ values can be as large as 0.08 within the measured κ values that range between 0.11 and 0.37 among the selected samples, highlighting that the multiple-charge effect should be considered for the ambient aerosol measurement. Furthermore, we examine how particle number size distribution is linked to the deviation of activation spectra and κ values.

The mechanism of viscosity reduction of waxy oils induced by the electric field: A correlation between the viscosity reduction and the charged particle accumulation on wax particles

Wax molecules crystallize at ambient temperature, causing the crude oil to become a dispersed system, which poses challenges in the flow assurance of pipelines. Improving the cold flowability of crude oil is the fundamental solution to tackle these problems. Applying an electric field to waxy oil may markedly improve its cold flowability. The adhesion of charged particles on wax particles’ surface under the electric field has been demonstrated as the essential mechanism of the electrorheological effect. However, the correlation between the accumulated charged particles and the induced viscosity reduction has not been explored quantitatively. In this study, the viscosity and impedance of four crude oils before and after electric treatment were measured. The conductivity changes of the oils’ continuous phase were obtained by an equivalent circuit model. And then, the charged particles’ concentration before and after electric treatment was calculated by the Stokes equation. The results showed there is a positive correlation between viscosity reduction and charged particle concentration reduction in the continuous phase. Importantly, this correlation is also quantitatively applicable to the results of ten different waxy oils which has been published. This study provides a quantitative basis for the mechanism of electrorheological behavior of waxy oils.

Multi-point discharge model: study on corona discharge of double-ended needle in large space

Corona discharge, as a common means to obtain non-equilibrium plasma, can generally obtain high-concentration plasma by increasing discharge points to meet production needs. However, the existing numerical simulation models used to study multi-point corona discharge are all calculations of small-scale space models, which cannot obtain the distribution characteristics of plasma in large space. Based on our previous research, this paper proposes a hybrid model for studying the distribution of multi-point discharge plasma in large-scale spaces, which divides the computational domain and computes separately with the hydrodynamic model and the ion mobility model. The simulation results are verified by a needle–ball electrode device. Firstly, the electric field distribution and plasma distribution of the needle electrodes with single tip and double tips are compared and discussed. Secondly, the plasma distribution of the needle electrode with the double tip at different voltages is investigated. Both computational and experimental results indicate that the charged particle concentration and current of the needle electrode with double tips are both twice as high as those of the needle electrode with a single tip. This model can extend the computational area of the multi-point corona discharge finite element model to the sub-meter (25 cm) or meter level, which provides an effective means to study the plasma distribution generated by multiple discharge points in large-scale space.

Evolution of charged particles in jet combustion chamber

The combustion process in the combustion chamber of the engine will change the electrostatic field characteristics of the jet aircraft, thereby affecting the accuracy of the electrostatic field information obtained by the electrostatic detector. Based on the quantitative analysis of the evolution of charged particles in the combustion chamber, this study further analyses the effect of different surface materials in the combustion chamber on the charging process of combustion products. The combustion chamber is divided into burning zone, intermediate zone and dilution zone, and the evolution model of charged particles in the combustion chamber is constructed under the time constraint. Finally, the variation curve of the charged particle concentration when the surface materials in the combustion chamber are metal materials and non-metal materials are calculated by simulation, and the influence of the conductivity of the surface materials in the combustion chamber on the combustion charging process is analyzed. This study provides the analytical basis for the application of electrostatic detection technology in jet aircraft.

Control of The Distribution of The Internal Characteristics of The Discharge Using Supersonic Gas Pumping

Theoretical studies of the distribution of glow discharge parameters in a supersonic nitrogen gas flow between the central body of the nozzle and an annular electrode around the central body are carried out. Distributions of charged particle concentrations, potential, and electric field strength are obtained. The possibility of compaction or stretching of the cathode zones has been demonstrated. In the case of the organization of a supersonic gas flow near the central body-the anode, all the near-electrode zones are pressed against the anode. In this case, the cathode is located in the area of reduced pressures. Such a way of organizing the discharge can find application in the processes of applying functional coatings.

Влияние электронной температуры на распределение концентрации в поперечном сечении газоразрядной плазмы

The electron temperature and the concentration of charged particles associated with it in a gas-discharge plasma can lead to a change in the properties of the corresponding electronic devices: a change in the space charge. Even an insignificant space charge, due to the difference in the concentrations of charged particles in the plasma, can cause instabilities and lead to the formation of undamped longitudinal and transverse waves (strata) in the plasma of the positive gas discharge column. In a magnetized gas-discharge plasma, the space charge decreases due to a decrease in the parameters of motion of charged particles, and with a transverse magnetic field B = B0 = (bebp)-1/2 vanishes and the plasma becomes homogeneous. In the case when the magnetic weakly affects the plasma, it is necessary that the concentration of charge carriers be the same, i.e. the plasma is homogeneous. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the minimum value of the electron temperature at which the Maxwellian plasma is homogeneous. Goal – To estimate the effect of electron temperature on the distribution of charge carrier concentration, analyze the electron balance equation in two cases: at zero and real boundary conditions.

Two types of plasma channel structure in high pressure pulse discharge in cesium

Simulation of the pulse-periodic high pressure cesium discharge is performed on the basis of equations of radiative gas dynamics. It is shown that in the discharge it is possible to implement two different types of structure of the plasma channel. At the beginning of the current pulse, the plasma discharge channel has a centered structure. At the same time, most of the plasma is concentrated near the discharge axis. The concentration of charged particles decreases along the radius.Then, if the current amplitude is large enough, during the plasma heating process, a transformation from the centered to the shell structure of the channel occurs. In this case, most of the plasma is concentrated on the periphery of the discharge and its concentration increases along the radius from the axis to the walls of the tube. It is shown that the transition from one channel structure to another occurs at a time when the specific heat capacity of the plasma near the axis reaches a deep minimum corresponding to a completely single ionized e-i-plasma. Keywords: low-temperature plasma, pulse discharge, plasma channel.

Датчик мониторинга ионосферы, размещаемый на наноспутниках

In this paper, we propose a sensor for the density and composition of the upper atmosphere (ionosphere), designed for installation on nanosatellites. The relevance and existing problems of direct instrumental studies of the ionosphere at altitudes of 150-500 km are shown. Of the existing types of vacuum meters, the most suitable for autonomous operation at these altitudes are ionization vacuum meters with inverse magnetron primary converters with a cold cathode. However, the existing industrial types of such vacuum meters are unsuitable for operation in the ionosphere due to high concentration of charged particles in the air, resulting in large distortions of the readings. In addition, they have large weight and size characteristics and energy consumption, which exclude the possibility of their installation on nanosatellites. To solve these problems, a mathematical model of the electrophysical processes, occurring in the core of such a converter, was developed which significantly reduced its weight and size characteristics and energy consumption. And to eliminate the influence of charged particles, it is equipped with an electron-ion trap, which additionally made it possible to measure the concentration of electrons and ions in the environment. The design of such a combined converter is described, and calculations of the electric and magnetic fields in the core of the vacuum gauge converter and the electric fields in the interelectrode space of the trap are performed. A method for calculating the current values of such a combined converter has been developed, which makes it possible to estimate the required measurement ranges of the sensor measuring channels. The results obtained allow us to proceed with its experimental design.

Simulation of High-Voltage Ion Diode with Wire Cathode at Atmospheric Pressure of Nitrogen

Physic-topological simulation of a high-voltage coaxial ion diode with a wire metal cathode at atmospheric nitrogen pressure in the hydrodynamic drift-diffusion approximation is performed. The reactions of nitrogen ionization by electrons, attachment of electrons to nitrogen molecules with the formation of negative ions, recombination of charged particles with opposite signs of charge, secondary ion-electron emission of the cathode were taken into account. The distribution of potential and density (concentration) of charged particles in the interelectrode gap, the density of ionic and electron currents at the electrodes were calculated within the self-consistent problem with the following parameters: diameter of wire metal cathode 0.01-0.16 mm, diameter of tubular anode 6 or 20 cm, voltage 20-40 kV, gas temperature 300 or 600K. The influence of geometry, voltage and gas temperature on the discharge parameters has been determined. The obtained calculated data on the discharge current are consistent with the experiment. It is shown that two zones are formed in the discharge between the electrode gap – one is with a width of about 1 mm with a strong and rapidly changing electric field near the cathode and the second long zone with the drift of charged particles towards the anode with a smaller but constant field strength. This is a characteristic feature of negative corona discharges. In the cathode zone there is an intensive ionization of nitrogen with the generation of positive ions and electrons. In the second zone, the density of positive ions decreases sharply due to recombination and weak ionization. The reaction of attachment of electrons to nitrogen molecules begins almost near the cathode surface and continues throughout the cathode zone, in the drift zone the concentration of negative ions gradually decreases. Moreover, the role of electronic conductivity is greatly reduced as we approach the anode. Due to the low mobility of negative ions and, accordingly, the high electrical resistance of the drift zone, the voltage drop on this space part represents a significant portion of the discharge voltage (~1.5 kV on the cathode zone and 18.5 kV on the drift space, at the total voltage of 20 kV). The fact that the highest concentration of positive ions is formed near the cathode, and negative – along the entire interelectrode gap, it can be used, respectively, in the processes of ionic nitriding of wire cathode metal materials and for processing materials and biological substances (bacteria, viruses, fungi), sensitive to negative ions, at the location of the carriers of these substances near the anode. To implement the latter, it is advisable to modify the design of the external anode for efficient extraction of nitrogen ions into the environment. It is also advisable to continue research in the direction of increasing the energy efficiency of ion generation by determining the method of the maximum allowable reduction of the voltage drop on the space of drift of charged particles.

Drift-diffusion model of corona discharge in coaxial geometry due to negative lightning impulse voltage

Corona discharge at atmospheric pressure in cylindrical geometry is simulated numerically for negative lightning voltage impulse. The simulation is performed by solving the drift-diffusion-reaction equations for electrons, positive and negative ions. Spatial dependence and time evolution of the concentration of charged particles and created space electric field are used for detailed theoretical analysis of corona discharge based on the values of the transport and reaction gaseous coefficients. This exact drift-diffusion model enables clear physical picture of the corona discharge dynamics. It is used for the determination of the charge-voltage curves necessary for taking into account the corona effects in transient overvoltage calculation on transmission lines. In contrary to the previous engineering corona models, it is shown that the corona charge continues to increase although the input voltage pulse decreases after reaching its maximum value. This behavior is confirmed by measurements in a few experimental studies. Secondly, it has been shown that according to this model there are no positive streamers formation departing from central electrode or wire during decreasing edge of the input voltage pulse. The total charge simply commences to decrease when the negative ions neutralize themselves on the central electrode or wire of positive polarity. A sharp peak of corona current is observed immediately after the beginning of the intense ionization. The drift-diffusion model could also be used to check the validity of other common assumptions and predictions of previous engineering corona models.

Application of an aerosol electrical mobility spectrum analyzer: Charged-particle polarity ratio measurement in the Antarctic and Arctic regions

An aerosol electrical mobility spectrum analyzer (AEMSA), developed at Hanyang University, was employed to investigate the particle charge characteristics in the Antarctic and Arctic regions. The particle charge characteristics in these areas were compared with the charging state in Ansan, South Korea, located in the midlatitude, where artificial factors, such as human activity, urbanization, and traffic, might result in a higher total concentration. Furthermore, in Ansan, South Korea, the charged-particle polarity ratio was very stable and was close to 1. However, notably different particle charge characteristics were obtained in the Antarctic and Arctic regions. The imbalance between the numbers of positively and negatively charged particles was evident, resulting in more positive charges on the atmospheric particles. On average, the positively charged particle concentrations in the Antarctic and Arctic areas were 1.4 and 2.8 times higher, respectively, compared with the negatively charged particles. The developed AEMSA system and the findings of this study provide useful information on the characteristics of atmospheric aerosols in the Antarctic and Arctic regions and can be further utilized to study particle formation mechanisms.

Formation of a Nanosecond Discharge in Argon at Atmospheric Pressure Under Gas Pre-Ionization Conditions

The results of modeling a nanosecond discharge in a uniform electric field in argon at atmospheric pressure based on two kinetic models are compared: with one and with six excited states, respectively. The analysis of the development of ionization waves in a centimeter gap in a two-dimensional axisymmetric geometry is performed. It is shown that the obtained result is influenced by the choice of the transport cross-section of electron scattering on the argon atom. The electric field strengths, charged particle concentrations, and velocities of cathode- and anode-directed ionization waves at different time points are compared.

Чисельне моделювання нестаціонарних потоків холодної плазми при роботі плазмового актуатора

The numerical simulation of unsteady flows of cold plasma is considered in this article. A low-temperature non-equilibrium ideal plasma is formed when the plasma actuator interacts with the air. The mathematical model has been developed to describe the behavior of low-temperature plasma. It is based on non-stationary equations describing the dynamics of charged particles and plasma electrodynamics equations. The 14 types of particles: metastable and excited nitrogen and oxygen atoms, positive and negative ions, electrons and atomic oxygen are considered. Volumetric and surface chemical reactions describing processes in a barrier discharge that occur above the dielectric surface are considered. For non-stationary equations of plasma dynamics, an implicit numerical algorithm with pseudo-time iteration has been developed, which is based on a finite-volume approach. The equation for the electrostatic potential with sources was solved using the generalized minimal residual method with incomplete LU preconditioning. In non-stationary equations for the density of plasma particles, the drift derivatives were approximated using the TVD scheme with the MinMod limiter function. The derivatives in the equation for the electric potential were calculated using finite-volume relations taking into account the upwind approximation of the concentration of charged plasma particles. The numerical results of the generation, propagation and destruction of a streamer during a dielectric barrier discharge are obtained. The unsteady plasma characteristics in the region above the dielectric surface are analyzed, including the distribution of the particles density, electric potential and the Lorentz force components. The results of numerical simulation of unsteady flows of low-temperature plasma are in good agreement with the available experimental data.

Два вида структуры плазменного канала в импульсном разряде высокого давления в цезии

Simulation of the pulse-periodic high pressure cesium discharge is performed on the basis of equations of radiative gas dynamics. It is shown that in the discharge it is possible to implement two different types of structure of the plasma channel. At the beginning of the current pulse, the plasma discharge channel has a centered structure. At the same time, most of the plasma is concentrated near the discharge axis. The concentration of charged particles decreases along the radius.Then, if the current amplitude is large enough, during the plasma heating process, a transformation from the centered to the shell structure of the channel occurs. In this case, most of the plasma is concentrated on the periphery of the discharge and its concentration increases along the radius from the axis to the walls of the tube. It is shown that the transition from one channel structure to another occurs at a time when the specific heat capacity of the plasma near the axis reaches a deep minimum corresponding to a completely single ionized e-i plasma.