Characteristics of Creeping Discharge on a Dielectric-Covered Cathode

This study investigates the creepage discharge method applied to a cold cathode to enhance discharge performance. Creepage discharge refers to the movement of electrical discharges along an insulating surface, increasing electron emission from dielectric materials. The research examines discharge behavior by varying the position of a ceramic pipe on the cathode and proposes a new average current calculation method. Findings indicate that when the ceramic pipe tip extends beyond the cathode, discharge intensity increases. The ceramic-covered cathode (CCC) configuration achieved an average discharge current exceeding 600 mA, compared to about 500 mA for the conventional rod-wire cathode (CRC). The CCC design also enabled arc plasma generation at voltages below 5 kV, whereas the CRC required 4–7 kV to achieve similar effects. For industrial applications, the CCC setup produced approximately 700 mA, whereas the CRC reached approximately 600 mA. These results demonstrate that the CCC configuration offers superior discharge current generation and plasma-column discharge.