Experimental Comparison of High Voltage Pulse and AC Excited DBD Reactor Configurations for Diesel Exhaust Treatment

Research on the application of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactors in the treatment of diesel exhaust has been conducted for several decades, utilizing various methods of excitation. This study investigates the variations in performance across various setups of DBD plasma reactors when exposed to high voltage AC and Pulse excitation. The study focuses on analyzing the effects of two distinct electrical waveform, namely a 50 Hz high voltage alternating current (AC) and an 80 Hz high voltage nanosecond pulse waveform, on the efficiency of the reactors. The study employed DBD reactors of different size, equipped with stainless steel electrodes of variable diameters. The study aims to examine the influence of electrode diameters, reactor dimension, and excitation waveform on plasma characteristics and reactor performance by deliberate modifications of these variables. The results offer significant knowledge on how to enhance DBD plasma reactors for different industrial uses, emphasizing the crucial influence of excitation waveform and reactor configuration in attaining the appropriate plasma characteristics.