Electrical diagnostics of dielectric barrier discharge for optimal power determination

Abstract This study presents a comprehensive theoretical and experimental analysis to determine the optimum power for a Cold Atmospheric Pressure Plasma (CAPP) system using a Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) reactor. The investigation reveals that maximum power is consumed at a specific discharge gap within the DBD reactor. Power was computed across varying discharge widths, ranging from 1.0 mm to 5.0 mm, for a fixed input sinusoidal voltage with a frequency of 50 Hz. Additionally, power was calculated for different input voltages at a constant discharge width. The power consumption of the reactor was determined using the Lissajous figure method and voltage-current characteristics. Both experimental and theoretical studies identified that a discharge width of 3.0 mm is optimal for minimizing power consumption in the reactor. The theoretical predictions, based on an electrical circuit model, aligned well with experimental findings using Lissajous figures and current–voltage measurements. Moreover, the study examined the variation in the number of discharge filaments per cycle at different input voltages and discharge widths, demonstrating that an increase in discharge width results in a linear decrease in the number of filaments, while higher input voltage increases filament density. These findings highlight the importance of optimizing both discharge width and input voltage to achieve efficient power usage in plasma systems. This research contributes to the development of energy-efficient plasma technologies by providing critical insights into the power optimization of CAPP in DBD reactors, with potential applications in various industrial and agricultural processes.