Effects of electrode structure on the discharge characteristics of multi-hollow dielectric barrier discharge

Abstract Multi-hollow dielectric barrier discharge (MHDBD) presents promising potential in fields like energy and environmental protection, material surface treatment, and microbial inactivation due to its unique electrode configuration. The structure of the MHDBD electrodes is a significant aspect that affects the stability and efficiency of discharge and further impacts the application performance. In this study, the influence of electrode design on discharge characteristics is investigated. Two types of MHDBD electrodes, electrodes made of an entirely solid metal ( ED LE and ED SE ), and the proposed electrodes featuring only metal wires around the holes ( ED LW and ED SW ), with different dimensions, are fabricated. The electrical, optical, and heat properties of the discharge of the two types of electrodes are compared. Then, the electrical circuit model and finite element simulations are employed to calculate the stray capacitances of the two electrodes. The results show that the proposed electrodes distribute more power in discharge while total consuming power is lower, resulting in a higher efficiency (43.5% vs 28.4% for a large area at 14 kV). This is also verified by a lower temperature rise (115.0 °C vs 74.3 °C for ED LE and ED LW after five minutes discharge) but higher capability of producing reactive species for the proposed electrodes. The ICCD images show that the ED LW and ED SW could confine the discharge in the area around the holes while ED LE and ED SE would expand the discharge outside the holes.