Study of plasma parameters and gas heating in the voltage range of nondischarge to full-discharge in a methane-fed dielectric barrier discharge

Abstract

Experimental data are used in theoretical models to study the effects of input voltage and gas flow rate on plasma and background gas parameters in a voltage range where the transition from nondischarge to full-discharge happens. To this end, a specific methane-fed dielectric barrier discharge is used as a plasma reactor, and electrical modeling, the Boltzmann equation method, and emission spectrum analysis are employed to calculate plasma parameters and gas heating. The output of this study proves that a uniform plasma with a controllable background gas heating is achievable by the adjustment of input parameters such as voltage and gas flow rate in a well-designed dielectric barrier discharge.