Characterization of a Laminar Plasma Plume Based on Dielectric-Barrier Discharge at Atmospheric Pressure

With argon used as working gas, a laminar plasma plume with a fairly large volume is flushed out of a dielectric-barrier discharge device into the ambient air at atmospheric pressure. Discharge characteristics are investigated through electrical and optical methods. Results indicate that discharge power, based on Lissajous plot, increases with increasing the peak voltage. High-speed imaging indicates that the formation mechanism of the plasma plume corresponds to a series of microdischarge filaments leaving outlet of the gas duct, whose probable lifetime is about several milliseconds.