Characterization and mechanism studies of dielectric barrier discharges generated at atmospheric pressure

A dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) device operated at ambient air with an ac power supply was designed and examined. The discharge power and active current of DBD were characterized. Experimental results show that the discharge power does not proportionally increase all along with voltage. Through in-depth analysis of typical waveforms of instantaneous applied voltage and discharge current, and images of microdischarges in the gas gap, it is inferred that considerable reduction in charges transferred through discharge channels is most likely due to recombination and attachment to electronegative molecules, nonuniform highly distorted electric fields, and repulse of more homogeneous electric charges. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3430008]