A High-Frequency and High-Voltage Power Supply Based on Pulse Transformer for Driving Glow Discharge Plasma

Although atmospheric-pressure glow discharge (APGD) finds widespread applications across various fields, a simple and efficient driving method is still lacking. This article presents the development of a high-frequency power supply based on the series resonance principle, which can effectively limit the discharge current and stably drive APGD. The series resonant circuit is ingeniously constructed by utilizing the leakage inductance and distributed capacitance of a pulse transformer, greatly simplifying the circuit structure. Results show that when the power supply operates at its resonant frequency of 35kHz, its output current only decreases from 17.2to 3.0mA as the load resistance increases from$50~\Omega $to 1M$\Omega $. This power supply boasts a maximum output voltage exceeding 10kV and successfully drives a stable APGD between a 6-mm pin-to-water electrode system within a frequency range of 30–40kHz. The power supply exhibits excellent current-limiting capability when driving APGD, eliminating the need for a ballast resistor during operation and thereby significantly improving energy efficiency. Preliminary experimental results indicate the generation of abundant active radicals (•OH, •O, etc.) at the plasma–liquid interface, suggesting promising potential for application in wastewater treatment.