Electrical modelling approach for discharge analysis of a coaxial DBD tube filled with argon

Abstract

Dielectric barrier discharges (DBDs) occur in the presence of at least one insulating layer in contact with the discharge between two planar or cylindrical electrodes connected to a high voltage supply. A quartz coaxial DBD tube, filled with argon, has been studied and an electrical model characterizing the discharges has been proposed. The proposed model considers the geometry of the DBD tube, gas gap spacing and the properties of the dielectric barrier material. A sinusoidal voltage up to 2.4 kV peak with frequencies from 20 to 100 kHz has been applied to the discharge electrodes for the generation of microdischarges. By comparisons of visual images and electrical waveforms, the filamentary discharges have been confirmed. The simulated discharge characteristics have been validated by the experimental results. A good correlation between the experimental and simulated results was found, which is used to deduce the circuit impedance and other electrical parameters, in particular, the conduction current, charge accumulation, energy deposited and consumed power during discharges.