Structure of positive streamers inside gaseous bubbles immersed in liquids

Abstract

Electric discharges and streamers in liquids typically proceed through vapour phase channels produced by the streamer or in gaseous bubbles. The bubbles can originate by enthalpy changes produced by the discharge or can be artificially injected into the liquid. Experiments on streamers in bubbles immersed in liquids have shown that the discharge propagates either along the surface of the bubble or through the volume of the bubble as in conventional streamer propagation in air. In this paper we report on results of a computational investigation of streamer propagation through bubbles immersed in liquids. We found that the dielectric constant of the liquid in large part determines the path the streamer takes. Streamers in bubbles immersed in a liquid with a high permittivity preferentially propagate along the surface of the bubble. Liquids with low permittivity can result in the streamer propagating along the axis of the bubble. The permittivity at which this transition occurs is a function of the applied voltage, size of the bubble and the conductivity of the liquid.