Investigation of the ozone formation process in a nanosecond microwave discharge in air and oxygen

Results are presented from an investigation of the dynamics of ozone formation in a freely localized discharge generated by a periodic train of 3-cm nanostructured microwave pulses in oxygen and air at a pressure p=3–30 Torr. Conditions for the efficient generation of ozone in air with the minimum production of nitrogen oxides are demonstrated experimentally. It is shown that when the microwave pulse repetition frequency is high, heating of the gas and the buildup of nitrogen oxides in the discharge in air reduce the ozone formation efficiency while under prolonged exposure the ozone formed initially is destroyed. The energy cost of forming ozone in oxygen and air is determined as a function of the microwave pulse length and repetition frequency and the gas pressure. The lowest energy cost of forming a single ozone molecule in these experiments is 16 eV per molecule for a discharge in air and 4 eV per molecule in oxygen. It was observed that circulating the gas through the discharge zone enhances th ozone formation efficiency. It is shown that there are optimal conditions for ozone formation as a function of the reduced electric field in the plasma. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 67, 9–18 (March 1997)     

Ionization-overheating instability threshold in the electrodeless microwave discharge plasma

Experiments with a pulsed freely localized electrodeless microwave discharge in air under a pressure corresponding to the ascending branch of the pressure dependence of the breakdown field are described. The discharge is initiated in a focused quasi-optical electromagnetic beam. The minimal threshold values of the electromagnetic field (for which a brighter plasma channel extended along the field is formed in the initially spatially homogeneous diffuse discharge plasma) are determined by varying air pressure for several fixed values of this field in the focal region of the beam. In accordance with the prevailing theory, this phenomenon is interpreted as the result of evolution of ionization-overheating instability in the microwave discharge plasma.     

Multipoint Ignition of a Gas Mixture by a Microwave Subcritical Discharge with an Extended Streamer Structure

The results of experimental studies on using an electrical discharge with an extended streamer structure in a quasioptical microwave beam in the multipoint ignition of a propane–air mixture have been reported. The pulsed microwave discharge was initiated at the interior surface of a quartz tube that was filled with the mentioned flammable mixture and introduced into a microwave beam with a subbreakdown initial field. Gas breakdown was initiated by an electromagnetic vibrator. The dependence of the type of discharge on the microwave field strength was examined, the lower concentration threshold of ignition of the propane–air mixture by the studied discharge was determined, and the dynamics of combustion of the flammable mixture with local and multipoint ignition were compared.     

Deeply undercritical microwave discharge excited by the field of a quasi-optical electromagnetic beam in a supersonic air jet

Electric discharge in a supersonic air jet is studied. It is ignited in a linearly polarized quasi-optical microwave electromagnetic beam the initial field intensity of which is much lower than the breakdown level. Electric breakdown is initiated by a tubular electromagnetic vibrator, one end of which has spikes and is covered by a quartz tube. Atmospheric air enters into a low-pressure working chamber through the inner channel of the vibrator. As a result, an immersed supersonic air jet forms in the chamber at the outlet from the quartz tube. A microwave discharge ignited in this jet is “attached” to aft spikes of the vibrator. The energy deposit into the discharge plasma and the effective area of energy interaction between the discharge and excited microwave field are estimated from the temperature and stagnation pressure distributions in the wake of the discharge.     

微波大气击穿阈值的理论研究

本文通过对使用有效场强(或均方根场强)得到的微波大气击穿阈值表达式进行讨论, 指出其推导中所做的假设及这些假设应用到微波大气击穿过程中存在的问题. 然后分别使用解析理论和数值模拟对微波大气击穿过程中的有效电子温度变化过程和击穿阈值进行研究, 并将其与直流电场进行比较. 分析发现在高气压下, 电子能量转移频率高, 有效电子温度随电场大幅振荡, 由于电离频率随有效电子温度的增长率大于电子能量损失随有效电子温度的增长率, 因此在高气压时, 微波大气击穿阈值低于使用有效场强的击穿阈值. 通过大量分析, 给出了理论推导和数值模拟得到的微波大气击穿阈值拟合表达式.     

大气压微波等离子体射流装置放电特性研究

基于同轴传输线结构设计了两种不同喷嘴结构的大气压微波等离子体射流(MW-APPJ)装置,其工作频率2.45 GHz,工作气体为氩气,分别研究了两种不同喷嘴结构对等离子体放电特性产生的影响。仿真结果表明,MW-APPJ在气体喷嘴处会产生高强度的电场,经过优化结构,实现在频率2.45 GHz下,喷嘴处的场强满足氩气电离的击穿场强阈值要求。同时,利用多物理场耦合仿真软件对装置的气流分布进行了稳态模拟,并通过实验对比分析了两种喷嘴结构下大气压氩等离子体射流的基本特性。实验结果表明,不同的喷嘴结构会影响等离子体装置的反射系数随输入功率的变化规律,但并不影响等离子体射流长度随输入功率的变化规律和反射功率随进气流量的变化规律;同时,在大气压下,稳态微波等离子体射流呈现出类金属性,等离子体中的电子只能在很薄的区域中吸收微波能量,因而造成微波的反射功率较大。     

Effective area of energy interactions between the plasma of a deeply subcritical microwave discharge and its initiating electromagnetic field

Experiments on initiating electrical air discharge in an airtight radiotransparent volume have been described. The discharge is initiated by a quasi-optical linearly polarized microwave beam with a deeply subcritical field by means of an electromagnetic vibrator mounted above a screen. The results make it possible to calculate the effective area of energy interaction between the plasma of the discharge and its initiating microwave field. It has been shown that this area considerably exceeds the cross-sectional area of the discharge.     

Electric discharge in air in a deeply subcritical field of a quasi-optical microwave beam

We describe the results of experiments on initiation of an electric discharge in air in a quasi-optical microwave beam by an electromagnetic vibrator fixed above the screen. This method for initiating the electrical breakdown makes it possible to obtain a discharge at a level of the electric field component in the microwave, which two orders of magnitude lower than the minimal critical field of the electrodeless breakdown of air. In our experiments, the threshold value of the air pressure determining the low- and high-temperature forms of the microwave discharge are determined depending on the field level.     

Origin of surface microwave discharges

The high-pressure gas discharge initiated at the focus of pulsed powerful microwave radiation is a branched network of thin plasma channels completely filling the volume of the focal zone. A detailed experimental investigation of such discharges is carried out with a setup operating at a wavelength of 8.9 cm and at pressures ranging from 0.05 to 1.00 atm. When the initiator is placed on a dielectric plate, the discharge channels are found to propagate solely over the surface of the dielectric. It is shown that electrodynamic interaction between the gas discharge and dielectric is the main reason for the surface propagation of the discharge.     

分子发射光谱法测量微波等离子体气体温度

通过OH自由基A2Σ+→X2Π_r电子带系分子发射光谱测温法,实现了对氩气、氮气、空气三种大气压微波等离子体气体温度的测量。探究了不同微波功率、不同气体流量下气体温度的变化规律,测量了氮气、空气微波等离子体羽流的轴向温度分布。实验结果表明,不同工作条件下微波等离子体核心温度普遍超过2 000 K,空气微波等离子体可超过6 000 K;同样工作条件下三种微波等离子体气体温度满足：T_Ar<T_N2<T_Air;气体温度总体上随微波功率增加而小幅增加,随气体流量下降而小幅降低;氮气与空气等离子体羽流温度沿轴向迅速降低。为验证分子发射光谱测温法的准确性,以热电偶测温作为比对,对温度较低的介质阻挡放电氩气等离子体进行了温度测量,实验表明,分子发射光谱法与热电偶所测结果十分接近。     

Pulsed microwave discharge in atmospheric air in the focus of a two-mirror resonator

Free-localized pulsed microwave discharge in atmospheric air in the focus of an open two-mirror high-Q resonator excited by linearly polarized electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength of 4.3 cm is described. This discharge is analogous to the previously studied streamer resonance microwave discharge ignited under similar conditions but with an electromagnetic radiation wavelength of 8.9 cm. Starting from a certain overcritical electric field, the discharge plasma channel has a high-temperature core.     

Magnetohydrodynamic instabilities of a pinch resonant streamer microwave discharge

A pulsed freely localized resonant streamer microwave discharge in air and high-pressure hydrogen in the field of a linearly polarized standing electromagnetic wave in a two-mirror open cavity is investigated. The observed characteristic features of the discharge are treated as consequences of the sausage and wriggle instabilities of the plasma channel with a longitudinal microwave current contracted by its magnetic self-field.     

Modification of Graphene on a Copper Grid during Femtosecond Laser Irradiation: Electron Diffraction and Raman Spectroscopy Studies

The initial stage of a nanosecond discharge in gaps with a high electric field at a cathode is studied by laser methods (interferometric, shadow, schlieren methods). The studies are performed in air at atmospheric pressure. Prominence is given to studying the evolution (appearance and growth) of the plasma channels at an anode and to estimating their parameters.     

一种准光反射聚焦微波放电大气等离子体装置

设计了一种准光反射聚焦方式的微波放电大气等离子体实验装置,装置包括大气环境模拟室和微波辐射聚焦系统。辐射微波在腔室中心形成kV/cm量级的非均匀强场,击穿大气产生等离子体。通过仿真计算了腔室内的空间辐射场分布,并利用小信号传递的方式进行测量,测量结果与仿真相符,形成的等离子体形态与辐射场分布强弱一致。电磁场在聚焦区域形成驻波,等离子体出现明显分层现象。实验通过拍照记录了不同参数条件下的等离子体图样,等离子体形态随气压升高而收缩,放电区域受场强和气压共同影响。对实验结果进行分析,验证了该装置的能力。     

120 kV下常压空气纳秒脉冲电晕放电特性

使用上升沿15 ns、脉宽30~40 ns的重复频率纳秒脉冲电源对120 kV下大气压空气中管-板电极结构电晕放电进行了实验研究,通过电压电流测量、放电图像拍摄和X射线探测分析了纳秒脉冲电晕放电特性。结果表明:纳秒脉冲电晕放电中存在X射线辐射,但辐射强度较弱,X射线辐射计数随着气隙距离的增大而减少,随着脉冲重复频率的增大而增多;放电空间的残余电荷加强了下一个脉冲到来时的局部电场,从而导致高重复频率下易于出现分散的电晕通道。     

A Microwave Air Plasma Source under Atmospheric Pressure

We develop a new cavity with a mode similar to TE13 to produce microwave plasma, named APMPS Ⅱ, which is able to produce a mass of air plasma with diameter of around 6 cm, equipped with about 3 kW input power under one atmosphere. The plasma seems to be homogeneous without significant filamentous discharge as observed by common camera device. We present the theory of this cavity, show the distribution of electric field of several planes inside the cavity and give some experimental results.     

Electrical characterization of dielectric barrier discharge driven by repetitive nanosecond pulses in atmospheric air

Dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) is an important method to produce non-thermal plasma, which has been widely used in many fields. In the paper, a repetitive nanosecond-pulse generator is used for the excitation of DBD. Output positive pulse of the generator has a rise time of about 15 ns and a full width at half maximum of 30–40 ns, and pulse repetition frequency varies from single shot to 2 kHz. The purpose of this paper is to experiment the electrical characteristics of DBD driven by repetitive nanosecond pulses. The variables affecting discharge conditions, including air gap spacing, dielectric thickness, barrier fashion, and applied pulse repetition frequency, are investigated. The relationship between electric field, discharge current, instantaneous discharge power across air gap, and estimated electron density with the length of air gap, dielectric thickness, barrier fashion, and pulse repetition frequency is obtained respectively, and the experimental results are also discussed. In addition, two typical images exhibiting homogeneous and filamentary discharges are given with different experimental conditions.     

高功率微波输出窗内侧击穿动力学的PIC/MCC模拟研究

高功率微波在受控热核聚变加热、微波高梯度加速器、高功率雷达、定向能武器、超级干扰机及冲击雷达等方面有着重要的应用.本文针对高功率微波输出窗内侧氩气放电击穿过程,建立了二次电子倍增和气体电离的一维空间分布、三维速度分布（1D3V）模型,并开发了相应的PIC/MC程序代码.研究了气压、微波频率、微波振幅对放电击穿的影响.结果表明：在真空情况下,介质窗放电击穿只存在二次电子倍增过程;在低气压和稍高气压时,二次电子倍增和气体电离共存;在极高气压时,气体电离占主导.给出了不同气压下电子、离子的密度和静电场的空间分布.此外还观察到,在500 mTorr时,随着微波振幅或微波频率的变化,气体电离出现的时刻和电离产生的等离子体峰值位置有较大差异,尤其是当微波频率（GHz）在数值上是微波振幅（MV/m）的2倍时,气体电离出现的较早.     

Self-organization of the channel structure of a nanosecond diffuse discharge in a wire-plane electrode system

The results of an experimental study of the spatial structure of a high-voltage diffuse discharge in a wire-plane electrode system are presented. Self-organization of the discharge current channels into regular cells is observed in the plane perpendicular to the electric field vector. The dependences of the structural parameters of the discharge in centimeter-sized gaps on the interelectrode distance are studied at air pressures within the range 220–760 torr. Self-organization of the discharge structure is explained in terms of the electric interaction among charges of the diffuse channel heads during bridging of the gap.