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Title: Length control of He atmospheric plasma jet plumes: Effects of discharge parameters and ambient air

Journal Article · · Physics of Plasmas
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3119212· OSTI ID:21277036
; ; ; ; ; ; ;  [1]; ;  [2]
  1. College of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, HuaZhong University of Science and Technology, WuHan, Hubei 430074 (China)
  2. Plasma Nanoscience Centre Australia (PNCA), CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering, P. O. Box 218, Lindfield, New South Wales 2070 (Australia)

The effects of various discharge parameters and ambient gas on the length of He atmospheric plasma jet plumes expanding into the open air are studied. It is found that the voltage and width of the discharge-sustaining pulses exert significantly stronger effects on the plume length than the pulse frequency, gas flow rate, and nozzle diameter. This result is explained through detailed analysis of the I-V characteristics of the primary and secondary discharges which reveals the major role of the integrated total charges of the primary discharge in the plasma dynamics. The length of the jet plume can be significantly increased by guiding the propagating plume into a glass tube attached to the nozzle. This increase is attributed to elimination of the diffusion of surrounding air into the plasma plume, an absence which facilitates the propagation of the ionization front. These results are important for establishing a good level of understanding of the expansion dynamics and for enabling a high degree of control of atmospheric pressure plasmas in biomedical, materials synthesis and processing, environmental and other existing and emerging industrial applications.

OSTI ID:
21277036
Journal Information:
Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 16, Issue 4; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3119212; (c) 2009 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English