TY - JOUR
T1 - Propeller arc
T2 - design and basic characteristics
AU - Pei, Xuekai
AU - Gidon, Dogan
AU - Graves, David B.
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors gratefully acknowledge many useful discussions with Rune Ingels of N2Applied (Oslo Norway). This work was partially supported by the Department of Energy OFES grant #DE-SC0001939 and National Science Foundation Grant #1606062.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 IOP Publishing Ltd.
PY - 2018/12/28
Y1 - 2018/12/28
N2 - A new atmospheric pressure non-equilibrium plasma source named the 'Propeller Arc' (PA) is developed using the concept of rotating electrodes. The PA device consists of a rotating cathode, driven by a motor, with one or more fixed anodes. Plasma is ignited at or near the narrowest gap as the rotating cathode passes by the anode and then it is extended up to a length of ∼66 mm or longer depending on the supplied power. This allows for efficient ignition, followed by a quick increase in plasma volume. The PA is similar to the widely used gliding arc (GA); however, unlike the GA, PA does not require imposed gas flow, and the PA discharge frequency can be easily controlled by the motor angular velocity. In this paper, the basic characteristics of PA are investigated using two different operation modes: pulse modulation and DC power. Discharge properties including electrical characteristics, time-resolved optical emission images, plasma electrical properties such as resistance and average electric field (discharge voltage divided by gap distance) and plasma power consumption are reported. Use of multiple anodes to increase the plasma volume is also demonstrated. As the PA has a compact design and is relatively easy to stabilize and control without the need for applied gas flow, it has potential to be adapted for many different applications such as nitrogen fixation, fuel and carbon dioxide conversion, waste, odor and hydrogen sulfide treatment, etc.
AB - A new atmospheric pressure non-equilibrium plasma source named the 'Propeller Arc' (PA) is developed using the concept of rotating electrodes. The PA device consists of a rotating cathode, driven by a motor, with one or more fixed anodes. Plasma is ignited at or near the narrowest gap as the rotating cathode passes by the anode and then it is extended up to a length of ∼66 mm or longer depending on the supplied power. This allows for efficient ignition, followed by a quick increase in plasma volume. The PA is similar to the widely used gliding arc (GA); however, unlike the GA, PA does not require imposed gas flow, and the PA discharge frequency can be easily controlled by the motor angular velocity. In this paper, the basic characteristics of PA are investigated using two different operation modes: pulse modulation and DC power. Discharge properties including electrical characteristics, time-resolved optical emission images, plasma electrical properties such as resistance and average electric field (discharge voltage divided by gap distance) and plasma power consumption are reported. Use of multiple anodes to increase the plasma volume is also demonstrated. As the PA has a compact design and is relatively easy to stabilize and control without the need for applied gas flow, it has potential to be adapted for many different applications such as nitrogen fixation, fuel and carbon dioxide conversion, waste, odor and hydrogen sulfide treatment, etc.
KW - gliding arc
KW - non-equilibrium plasma source
KW - propeller arc
KW - rotating electrodes discharge
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U2 - 10.1088/1361-6595/aaf7ef
DO - 10.1088/1361-6595/aaf7ef
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85059771054
SN - 0963-0252
VL - 27
JO - Plasma Sources Science and Technology
JF - Plasma Sources Science and Technology
IS - 12
M1 - 125007
ER -