Operating modes and power considerations of microhollow cathode discharge devices with elongated trenches

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• 作者：E.A. Lennon^a ; ^{elennon@stevens.edu} ; A.A. Burke^b ; ^{adrian.burke@navy.mil} ; R.S. Besser^a ; ^{rbesser@stevens.edu}
• 关键词：Microplasma ; Nonthermal plasma ; Microhollow cathode discharge ; Self-pulsing ; Hydrocarbon reforming ; Fuel cell
• 刊名：Current Applied Physics
• 出版年：2012
• 期刊代码：15_15671739
• 类别：ph
• 出版时间：July, 2012
• 卷：12
• 期：4
• 页码：1064-1073
• 文件大小：1305 K

摘要

Microhollow cathode discharge (MHCD) devices generate microplasmas with high electron densities and reactive species, making them a prospective hydrocarbon reforming technology. Here we report on the electrical phenomena resulting from MHCD devices with elongated trenches using argon at atmospheric pressure and room temperature. Devices that were 100聽渭m wide, 100聽渭m deep, and 1聽cm long exhibited self-pulsing current during constant voltage DC power application ranging from 0聽mA to 32聽mA. The capacitances for MHCDs with trenches 25, 100, and 250聽渭m wide were estimated to be 68, 70, and 33聽渭F respectively. A current-limited DC supply prevented self-pulsing, and resulted in abnormal, normal, or negative differential resistance (NDR), i.e. hollow cathode, operating modes. The NDR state manifested at lower current limits and occurred when the microplasma in the trench was discontinuous. Simulations from a corresponding, empirically聽determined circuit model showed larger total average power consumption (including the ballast resistance) during pulsed inputs (5.61-31.08聽W) in comparison to constant voltage inputs (<1聽W). These findings advance the development of these MHCDs for microplasma reforming applications, providing insights into operational modes and power consumption estimates critical to understanding the overall efficiency in the context of a future microplasma reforming system.