Helium Pressure Research Articles

On constriction and striation of a diffuse DBD in large gap filled with moderate pressure helium diluted by the air and easily ionized impurity

The experimental results on studying the plane-to-plane dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) excited in a very large volume (120 × 120 × 120 mm3) are presented. The DBD was powered by sinusoidal voltage with a frequency of 100 kHz. The plasma-forming gas is helium, which is slightly diluted by the air and trace impurity of an easily ionized gas. The total pressure of the working gas was varied within of 20–100 Torr. A moderate gas pressure allowed one the creation of non-typical DBD with a very long plasma column of 12 cm in length. Such a long gap DBD exhibits new features in its behavior compared to the well-known DBD in short gaps of several millimeters in length. Immediately after the discharge ignition, a long and uniform diffuse plasma column occurs that occupies the entire space of the inter-electrode bulk. However, this transversally homogeneous plasma mode is unstable. The ionization-thermal instability develops in the plasma owing to gas heating by the discharge. Therefore, the transversally uniform plasma breaks into several separate narrow current channels that move chaotically relative to each other. After a while, they eventually integrate into a single constricted plasma column located in the center part of the discharge volume. At the very beginning of its formation, the constricted plasma column is longitudinally uniform. But soon, it becomes streated. The strata are almost standing and their shape differs from that in a DC glow discharge at low pressure in a sealed tube. The revealed features in the slow spatial-temporal behavior of the long gap DBD are discussed with the involvement of mathematical analysis describing the small plasma disturbance development in the linear approximation.

(Digital Presentation) Measurements of the Average Droplet Charge Using a Low Density Stream of Microdroplets in Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet

A droplet passing through a low temperature plasma acquires a net negative charge, Q, and the droplet floating potential increases negatively until positive and negative charge fluxes are balanced. Subsequently electrons arrive at the droplet with a very low net electron energy. Low energy electrons (LEE) may play an important role in for example water chemistry, DNA damage (e.g. in radiotherapy) and electron-initiated nanomaterials synthesis [1]. However obtaining true LEE (< 5 eV) sources compatible with liquid water has not been possible to date. In a previous study, we have shown extremely fast and enhanced metal salt reactions within droplets and it is thought LEE reactions from charge on the droplets was the major contributor, in comparison to radiolysis and electron-beam studies [2]. Charging models of collisional high pressure plasmas have received little experimental validation, especially for particles in the size range (microns) where droplets can survive the plasma-induced evaporation. Measuring the small charge on fast moving droplets, however, in a high plasma RF noise environment presents very significant challenges. We present an experimental study of microdroplets charged in a helium atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) and, along with numerical modelling, determine the dependence of droplet charge, Q, on droplet diameter (D) and plasma conditions e.g. electron density, ne, and temperature, Te. Our measurements were carried out on aerosol droplet streams under various plasma conditions (power and flow) using a 4 mm plate collector. Without droplets, the collector assumed a mean positive potential. This is likely due to the effect of the upstream plasma potential which is estimated at ~12 V, assuming a Te of 2 eV. The background signal variation due to noise and other sources was ~250 mV. With the addition of droplets, the collector mean potential decreased due to the impact of the negative charge flux. At the maximum power, floating potential (VF) is a factor of ~100 greater at 3 mm collector distance compared to 15 mm. On the addition of droplets, the characteristics remain similar at 3 mm but at 15 mm, the potential remains positive until a much higher power. An image charge model [3] was used to obtain charge per droplet estimates from stream of droplets based on droplet rate and size distribution. High resolution imaging was used to obtain droplet statistics at the edge of the capillary. Here, the maximum droplet rate was ~ 5 x 104 s-1 [[4]]. The voltage – charge calibration factor, obtained from simulation, varies from 4.6 – 7.6 nV per electron, depending on velocity. The average value of charge per droplet can be obtained from the net potential and is shown in Figure 1 for low and high powers. The possible influence of the plasma gas flow (Q2) and liquid delivery rate (QL) on collector potential was explored and maximum charging capability was found to occur around a total gas flow of 3.5 slm and for lower QL values. [1] Léon Sanche, ‘Cancer Treatment: Low-Energy Electron Therapy’, Nature Materials, 14.9 (2015), 861–63 https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat4333 [2] Paul Maguire et al., ‘Continuous In-Flight Synthesis for On-Demand Delivery of Ligand-Free Colloidal Gold Nanoparticles’, Nano Letters, 17.3 (2017), 1336–43 https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.6b03440 [3] E. Borzabadi and A. G. Bailey, ‘The Measurement of Charge on Microscopic Particles’, Journal of Physics E: Scientific Instruments, 12.12 (1979), 1137–38 https://doi.org/10.1088/0022-3735/12/12/005 [4] Paul Maguire et al., ‘Controlled Microdroplet Transport in an Atmospheric Pressure Microplasma’, Applied Physics Letters, 106.22 (2015) https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4922034 Figure 1

Albumin aggregation using low-temperature atmospheric pressure helium plasma jet in argon and air atmosphere

A mechanism of albumin aggregation using a low-temperature atmospheric pressure helium plasma jet was investigated. This aggregation is one of the most dominant processes in the plasma-induced hemostasis. Using a chamber where air and argon can be used as surrounding gas, the role of reactive nitrogen species on the aggregation of albumin was tested. By changing the surrounding gas, it is possible to control the production of reactive species. The experimental results show that the stability of plasma discharge seems more important for the aggregation of albumin than the presence of reactive nitrogen species. Moreover, it was shown that long lifetime species in the solution and exposure to UV light do not play a major role in the aggregation.

Superconductor thermohydraulical and resistive electrical analytical model (STREAM) applied to WEST TF coil quench analysis

The Toroidal Field (TF) system of the WEST tokamak comprises 18 NbTi superconducting coils, cooled in a static superfluid helium bath at 1.8 K and carrying a nominal current of 1255 A. The 19th December 2017, at the end of plasma run #52205, a quench of TFC09 was detected, first on a thermohydraulical signal (helium liquid level), and triggered the current Fast Safety Discharge (FSD).The quench was found to be induced by a neutron and gamma flux caused by highly energetic runaway electrons (30 MeV) colliding the outboard plasma facing components. Some previous analyses with SuperMagnet (CryoSoft) code confirmed a so called “smooth” quench with small initial heat deposition length (0.4 m) at low field region (external leg) and with a number of initially quenched conductors nearly equal to 100.A Superconductor Thermohydraulical and Resistive Electrical Analytical Model (STREAM) has been developed. This model comprises the electrical equations (magnetic field, current sharing temperature, quenched length evolution, Joule energy, resistive voltage, resistance and current) and a thermodynamical and an hydraulical evolutions in two following sequences. The first one comprises the helium pressure evolution with an isentropic compression (closed volume) of a cold volume by a hot (and heated) volume; the second one comprises the determination of expulsed helium mass flow in the exhaust circuit (from a given pressure threshold) with a limit at atmospheric pressure or Mach number equal to 1. The whole TFC09 circular coil is modelled by a single bath with one conductor of length equal to coil average perimeter.For WEST TFC09 quench STREAM calculations, the inputs are the Minimum Quench Energy (MQE) and the propagation law of the quenched (normal) length. Calculated STREAM results showed good agreement with the measurements as well as the calculated SuperMagnet results. The maximal resistive voltage, Joule energy and resistance are respectively at 1400 V, 18 MJ and 5 Ω. The maximal values of helium pressure, conductor temperature and expulsed helium mass flow are respectively 0.9 MPa, 80 to 90 K and 4 to 5 kg/s. This STREAM analytical model can be useful (with adaptation to CICC configuration) for other tokamak magnets safe operation and protection, notably considering that the execution time is rather small due to the set of solved equations.

Optical diagnosis of a kHz-driven helium atmospheric pressure plasma jet

This paper focuses on utilizing several different optical diagnostics to experimentally characterize a pure helium atmospheric pressure plasma jet. Axial electric field measurements were carried out along the plasma plume through the use of a non-perturbing method based on polarization-dependent Stark spectroscopy of the helium $492.2$ nm line. The electric field is shown to increase with distance along the plume length, reaching values as high as $24.5$ kV cm $^{-1}$ . The rate of increase of the electric field is dependent on the helium gas flow rate, with lower gas flows rising quicker with distance in comparison with larger flow rates, with the typical values remaining within the same range. This sensitivity is linked to gas mixing between the helium and surrounding ambient air. Schlieren imaging of the gas flow is included to support this. The addition of a target is shown to further increase the measured electric field in close range to the target, with the magnitude of this increase being strongly dependent on the distance between the tube exit and target. The relative increase in the electric field is shown to be on average greater for a conducting target of water in comparison with plastic. A minimal equipment optical configuration, which is here referred to as fast two-dimensional monochromatic imaging, is introduced as an approach for estimating excited state densities within the plasma. Densities of the upper helium states for transitions, $1s3s$ $^{3}S_{1}$ $\rightarrow$ $1s2p$ $^{3}P^{0}_{0,1,2}$ at $706.5$ nm and $1s3s$ $^{1}S_{0}$ $\rightarrow$ $1s2p$ $^{1}P^{0}_{1}$ at $728.1$ nm, were estimated using this approach and found to be of the order of $10^{10}$ – $10^{11}$ cm $^{-3}$ .

Synthesis of silver nanoparticles by atmospheric pressure plasma jet

Silver nanoparticles are one of the most extensively used metallic nanomaterials due to their unusual physical and chemical properties as well as their promising applications in a wide range of different fields. In this study, a non-thermal atmospheric pressure helium plasma jet was used to successfully synthesize silver nanoparticles with silver nitrate as a precursor and trisodium citrate as a capping agent. The browning of the solution after only 5 min of plasma irradiation is a result of the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) from the obtained silver nanoparticles. The SPR was confirmed by the presence of an absorption band in the visible range between 400 and 450 nm demonstrated in the UV–vis spectra. The effect of different chemical parameters such as the concentration of silver nitrate and the concentration of citrate on the silver nanoparticles have been studied. These nanoparticles were further characterized using transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. Therefore, the plasma jet was advantageous to fast produce silver nanoparticles in friendly conditions. In addition, the used experimental setup allows further studies in different solvents conditions and with different capping agents. So, this methodology could be useful for the preparation of silver nanoparticles required for numerous applications such as bioactivity, catalysis, surface enhanced Raman scattering, and photonic.

Effect of the flow rate of the shielding gas on the species fluxes in the coaxial double-tube helium atmospheric pressure plasma jet

The effect of ambient air as an unavoidable problem for atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) applications has attracted a lot of interest, especially when the specific scenarios are highly sensitive to ambient species such as the biomedical process. The coaxial double-tube device is a promising method for controlling the ambient species into the jet effluent and thus the chemical properties of the jet effluent. In this work, the discharge characteristics and plasma chemistry of the coaxial double-tube helium APPJ at different shielding gas (SG) flow rates are studied numerically. An experiment on optical images of the discharge is conducted to illustratively validate the variation of the (main) discharge channel widths in the model as the SG flow rate varies. The results illustrate that the discharge is enhanced at the high flow rate, while it shows the weaker discharge behavior at the low flow rate as well as that without SG. The analysis of the dielectric plate surface indicates that the species fluxes to the dielectric plate significantly increase with the increases in the flow rate, which can be attributed to the wider (main) discharge channel. Moreover, to further explore the impact of the SG on the effluent chemistry, the ions fluxes on the surfaces of the main discharge channel and the discharge channel are distinguished and discussed. The analysis shows the great difference in the ions fluxes affected by the flow rate between the two discharge channels. In summary, advancing the knowledge that the flow rate of the SG has an impact on the discharge behavior, this study further reveals that different discharge positions greatly influence the production of nitrogen/oxygen species. This work enables the previously elusive account of the effect of SG and may open new opportunities for the further application of coaxial double-tube APPJ.

Human coronavirus inactivation by atmospheric pressure helium plasma

The recent global pandemic of Corona Virus Disease-19 has impacted all aspects of society, producing a growing demand for a powerful virus inactivation method. To assess a potential and mechanism of human coronavirus inactivation using atmospheric pressure plasma (APP) technology, replication of a human coronavirus (HCoV-229E) after He + H2O APP plume exposure was evaluated using rhesus monkey kidney epithelial cells. The HCoV-229E titers were reduced by 3 log10TCID50 after the APP exposure for 30 s, showing a strong virus-inactivation efficacy of the APP. It was experimentally verified that the APP produced the liquid-phase reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) at high rates [e.g. •OH: ∼1.7 nmol s−1, H2O2 (including H2O2 precursors): ∼9.2 nmol s−1, NO2 − (including NO2 − precursors): ∼3.3 nmol s−1]. However, an administration of H2O2 with NO2 − failed to inactivate the virus and only Mn type superoxide dismutase among several RONS scavengers for •OH, HO2 •/O2 •−, 1O2, and •NO/•NO2 was significantly effective for the recovery of the APP-induced decrease in the viral titers. This suggests O2 •−-related chemical reaction in a network of interconnected reactions induced by the APP exposure is very important for the APP-induced virus inactivation. These results provide new insight into a more efficient inactivation method of human coronavirus using APPs.

Rate constants for the reaction of SO with NO2 over the temperature range 220–960 K

AbstractThe kinetics of the reaction of SO radicals with NO2 have been studied in a discharge flow reactor combined with an electron impact ionization quadrupole mass spectrometer at nearly 2 Torr total pressure of helium and in the temperature range 220–960 K. The reaction rate constant was determined under pseudo‐first order conditions in excess of NO2 over SO using two different methods for generation of the SO radicals: k1 = (6.7 ± 0.2) × 10−12 exp(295 ± 10)/T) cm3 molecule−1 s−1 (the uncertainties represent precision at the 2σ level, the estimated total uncertainty on the rate constant being 15% at all temperatures). The present measurements indicate that the current recommendations for k1 underestimate the rate constant at low stratospheric temperatures and overestimate it at the high temperatures characteristic of combustion.

Sub-atmospheric re-pressurization analysis of FRIB linac segment 2 cryogenic distribution system

The continuous wave heavy ion beam linear accelerator at FRIB consists of 46 cryo-modules, housing 324 superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) resonators and 69 superconducting solenoids. The three linear accelerator (Linac) segments, designated LS1 to LS3, are arranged in the shape of a paper clip, with 4 superconducting dipole magnets in the curved segments. The SRF resonators are operated at 2 K, requiring a sub-atmospheric helium pressure, and the superconducting magnets are operated at 4.5 K. The design of the cryogenic transfer-lines for these Linac segments is complex and contains multiple process lines. Namely, these are the primary (4.5 K) supply, and return, sub-atmospheric return, 35 K shield supply and 55 K shield return. The shield return encloses the other process lines, thermally intercepting the ambient temperature heat load. Testing was conducted on the re-pressurization and liquid levels of the 24 cryo-modules of LS2’s 2 K system. System models were developed and then compared to the test data to characterize the static heat in-leak to the cryo-modules. Reasonable agreement was found between the validated models and preliminary measurements.

Lifetime estimation model of vapor cells in atomic magnetometers

A lifetime estimation model is proposed by characterizing the consumption of the components inside the atomic vapor cells in this work. The buffer gas leakage and alkali metal consumption in vapor cells will significantly destroy the performance of atomic magnetometers. Combining the light absorption method and aging experiments, the deterioration of helium pressure, rubidium vapor density, and cell wall transmittance were obtained to construct the lifetime estimation model that depends on time, working temperature, and initial contents. Then, the causes and consequences of these deteriorations were analyzed, and the combination of theoretical analysis and experimental data showed that the vapor cell invalidation caused by these factors conforms to the Weibull distribution. In order to establish the relationship between the component consumption and the performance of the magnetometer constituted by this cell, a single-beam magnetometer prototype was designed for sensitivity testing. Experiments have shown that the sensitivity of magnetometer is rapidly deteriorating after operating 600 h under 150 °C, which is mainly related to alkali metal consumption. Additionally, 200 °C is a trade-off aging experimental temperature between the aging efficiency and the stability of the cell. The proposed model can be applied to optimize the lifetime of the vapor cells used not only in magnetometers but also in gyroscopes and atomic clocks.

Preliminary design of the pressure relief system of the EDIPO 2 helium vessel

The European Dipole (EDIPO) test facility is undergoing a major upgrade of its magnet assembly, which will provide ground for testing both fusion and high-energy physics superconducting samples at variable temperature and with a background field of 15 T. In view of a cooling of the superconducting magnet based on a saturated helium bath, a helium vessel has been designed and procured. In this work, we present a preliminary design of the pressure relief system of the helium vessel. After having introduced the main requirements of the cryogenic circuit, we describe a staged pressure protection concept. A bursting disc, chosen as safety pressure relief device, is then sized following the appropriate European norms and according to credible accidental scenarios. Finally, we introduce the need of pressure relief and helium recovery following a quench of the superconducting magnet, after having determined the actual heat load transferred to the helium bath. Numerical simulations are also employed to study the dynamics of the pressure and temperature evolutions, and ideas for future studies are briefly discussed.

Potential formation on floating metal plate treated by low-temperature atmospheric pressure plasma jet

In the biomedical applications using low-temperature atmospheric pressure plasmas, charging on surface of the targets could play an important role. In this study, we have investigated potential formed on an electrically floating copper plate treated by a low-temperature atmospheric pressure helium plasma jet. The potential of the copper plate was measured by an electrostatic sensor in a non-contact manner. It was found that the potential on the copper plate could be controlled from 200 to −600 V by changing the distance between the nozzle of plasma device and the surface of copper plate. We discussed the charging mechanism such as collection of charged particles and several processes of electron emission including thermionic, field emission, secondary electron emission, and photoelectric processes.

Comprehensive Numerical Analysis on Flow and Heat Transfer Characteristics of Printed Circuit Heat Exchanger With Fins

Abstract Printed circuit heat exchanger (PCHE), as a high-efficiency and compact heat exchanger, shows a high potential in high temperature, high pressure, and some extreme environments, thus, it is widely used in nuclear power generation, refrigeration, aerospace, etc. In this paper, the flow and heat transfer characteristics of heat transfer channels with different fins were numerically analyzed, by changing helium inlet temperature and mass flowrate. The results indicate that, with the increase of helium mass flowrate, Nusselt number and pressure loss grow, while Colburn factor and Fanning friction factor drop. As helium inlet temperature rises, Nusselt number, Colburn factor, and pressure loss grow, whereas Fanning friction factor decreases. In addition, the heat transfer characteristics of the channels with different fins are higher than that of the finless channel, among which the circular finned channel has the best heat transfer performance. In spite of a slightly degraded flow performance, the comprehensive performance of the finned channels is superior to that of the finless channel, and the elliptical finned channel has the best performance, followed by airfoil finned channel and circular finned channel.

The combined effect of fractures and mineral content on coal hydromechanical response

The hydromechanical behaviour of fractured coal is a complex function of interaction between coal bulk and fracture deformation driven by fluid pressure and external stress. Despite the research studies conducted to date, the combined effect of mineral content and fracture structure on hydromechanical behaviour of sorptive fractured coal remains unexplored. To study this combined effect, we performed a series of X-ray computed tomography (XRCT) imaging on a range of coal specimens with non-sorbing (helium) and sorbing (CO2) gases at different effective stress paths using a newly developed X-ray transparent triaxial system. The compressibility of system components was obtained from processed 3D XRCT images which were used to interpret the results. The results of this study show that coal matrix/solid compressibility has a positive nonlinear relation with mineral content irrespective of mineral type. Effective stress coefficient is also a strong function of both mineral content and fracture porosity. Furthermore, the increase in mineral content leads to less fracture opening by an increase in helium pressure. Interestingly, the effect of mineral content on the bulk strength of coal is more significant than the effect of fracture porosity. Finally, coal with more open fractures shows less bulk swelling by gas adsorption under external stress due to damping effect of fracture volume on developed internal volumetric swelling strain.

Influence of pulse modulation frequency on helium RF atmospheric pressure plasma jet characteristics

AbstractThis work investigates the influence of pulse modulation frequency ranging from 50 Hz–10 kHz on the helium RF atmospheric pressure plasma jet's fundamental characteristics. The impact of modulation frequency on plasma jet discharge behaviour, geometrical variation, reactive species emission, and plasma parameters (gas temperature Tg, electron excitation temperature Texc, and electron density (ne)) are studied using various diagnostics such as optical imaging, emission spectra, and thermal diagnostic. From the experiments, it is observed that operating the plasma jet at low pulse modulation frequencies (around 50 Hz) provides enhanced plasma dimensions, higher electron densities and greater optical emission from reactive species (viz., He I, O, OH, N2+, etc.) as compared to the higher modulation frequencies. Besides the low power consumption, three times less gas temperature of the modulated plasma jet than the continuous wave mode makes it more advantageous for the applications. Moreover, the influence of duty cycle (D) and applied RF power (P) on the plasma jet characteristics are also discussed. It is found that 10–40% duty cycle operation provides the most favourable attributes. More importantly, the concern of shorter plasma length in RF plasma jets is overcome by operating at 10–20% duty cycle with increased applied power. This work thoroughly characterizes helium atmospheric pressure RF plasma jet with a wide range of pulse mode operating parameters, which could help to select appropriate operating conditions for various industrial and biomedical applications.

Experimental investigation into the permeability of water vapor in shales

The transport of water vapor in shale (mudrocks) plays an important role in many natural and engineering issues, such as the global water cycle and shale gas production. However, the permeability of water vapor in shale is not well understood. An experimental approach to investigate the water vapor permeability in shale is presented in this paper. Water vapor sorption was conducted under the dynamic relative humidity condition in which the vapor evaporation was generated from the liquid distilled water at different gas (helium) pressures. Three crushed samples of Carboniferous shale from the eastern Qaidam Basin, China, were obtained and tested. In the experiments, the adsorption process of water vapor into the crushed shale was observed, and the permeability of water vapor through shale was calculated with the data collected during the dynamic water vapor adsorption process. The results show that the permeability decreases with increasing water vapor adsorption. The relationship between permeability and water vapor adsorption amount fits an exponential equation well. The permeability at the equilibrium of water vapor adsorption is 3–4 orders of magnitude lower than that in the initial stage of water vapor adsorption. The decrease in pore size and resulting pore throat blockage cause this permeability reduction. The water film thickness and water saturation in the shale pores at adsorption equilibrium were estimated. The permeability reduction is closely related to the maximum water film thickness. The larger the range of pores blocked by the water film is, the more obvious the permeability reduction.

Modeling of DC micro-glow discharges in atmospheric pressure helium self-organizing on cathodes

Self-consistent numerical modeling was performed of a micro-glow discharge in helium self-organizing into 3D symmetrical patterns over a metallic cathode in the range of pressures of 600 to 800 Torr, for a constant gas temperature of 300 K. The 3D model employed comprised of Poisson's equation, equations of conservation of flux density, transport, and reactions, for a single ion species and electrons, assuming the drift-diffusion and local-field approximations. Multiple solutions to the model were found for the same range of discharge current, describing modes with different configurations of cathode spots. Stable transitions from the fundamental mode to the modes corresponding with self-organized patterns were identified as current was reduced from a discharge in the abnormal glow. At 600 Torr, the self-organized patterns comprised of symmetrically ordered, similarly sized, circular spots of current density that closely resembled patterns already identified in experiments and by modeling at lower pressures (in, e.g., xenon). At atmospheric pressure and above, the patterns emerged with one large central circular spot with small spots emerging uniformly around its periphery, resembling the shape of a gear. Modeling was also performed at atmospheric pressure for two constant temperatures above 300 K, of 600 and 1150 K. Qualitative changes to the patterns of current density on the cathode were observed. At 600 K, the first stable self-organized mode manifested similarly sized circular spots of current density on the cathode. At 1150 K, no self-organized patterns of spots emerged. The results indicate that self-organized patterns may emerge in atmospheric pressure micro-glow discharges but that gas temperature should be considered in an experiment attempting to characterize the phenomenon.

High-pressure Helium as a Template for the Formation of a Microporous Silica Structure

The modeling of various modes of formation of microporous silica using high-pressure helium was carried out by the methods of molecular dynamics. It is shown that by controlling the helium pressure in the process of quenching the silica melt, the structure of the obtained glasses can be changed continuously and within wide limits. The density of the obtained glasses varies in the range from 2.2 to 1.5 g / cm3 and the Ostwald solubility coefficients for helium and neon are more than an order of magnitude

Development of automated fumigation chamber for treatment of grapes with SO2 and CO2

AbstractThe export of grapes from one country to another is dependent on the grape's quality that should pass the strict phytosanitary requirements of the importing country. There is a requirement of fumigation of grapes with CO2 and SO2 at specified concentrations for a certain period besides the other pack‐house protocols and export standards. This study was focused to develop and establish an electronically controlled model fumigation chamber for the treatment of grapes in the grapes‐producing region. The gas injection and evacuation systems are electronically operated, and the fumigant concentration can be varied according to the requirement. Heaters of 2 kW are fitted inside the chamber to maintain the treatment temperature above 16°C for grapes fumigation. The fumigation chamber was found leak‐proof during pressurized helium leak testing. The CO2 and SO2 gas concentrations can be maintained between 600 and 60,000 ± 100 ppmv and 10 and 10,000 ± 2 ppmv, respectively, for 1–90 min (1% is equivalent to 10,000 ppmv). The fumigation of grapes with 6% CO2 for 30 min followed by fumigation with 1% SO2 for 30 min ensured 100% mortality of the adult fruit fly (Drosophilla melanogaster). This chamber may also be used for the fumigation treatment of other fruits, vegetables, nuts, and so on, as per the time and concentration of gases required for the 100% mortality of target pest. Nevertheless, the protocol for such treatments should be developed for other fruits, and the effect of the gases on the quality of the products should be studied.Practical ApplicationsThe developed automated fumigation chamber for treatment of grapes with CO2 and SO2 is an effective measure for disinfesting the grapes from invasive pests like Drosophilla suzukii, spiders, and so on. This would help in overcoming phytosanitary measures put in place by many grapes importing countries like New Zealand, Australia, and so on. These countries offer huge market potential for export of Indian grapes, and if the trade barriers are overcome, it would lead to earning huge foreign exchange. Furthermore, the developed automated fumigation chamber can be used as an integral part of horticultural pack houses both for domestic as well as international trade as it would eliminate most of the adult field pests at preliminary stages before pack‐house operation.