Main page | Journal list | Log-in

Jan Voráč, Lucia Potočňáková, Petr Synek, Jaroslav Hnilica, Vít Kudrle

Gas mixing enhanced by power modulations in atmospheric pressure microwave plasma jet

Plasma Sources Science and Technology 25 (2016) 025018

Microwave plasma jet operating in atmospheric pressure argon was power modulated by audio frequency sine envelope in the 10 2 W power range. Its effluent was imaged using interference filters and ICCD camera for several different phases of the modulating signal. The combination of this fast imaging with spatially resolved optical emission spectroscopy provides useful insights into the plasmachemical processes involved. Phase-resolved schlieren photography was performed to visualize the gas dynamics. The results show that for higher modulation frequencies the plasma chemistry is strongly influenced by formation of transient flow perturbation resembling a vortex during each period. The perturbation formation and speed are strongly influenced by the frequency and power variations while they depend only weakly on the working gas flow rate. From application point of view, the perturbation presence significantly broadened lateral distribution of active species, effectively increasing cross-sectional area suitable for applications.

Download PDF (3840 kB)

This article may also be available to you online

DOI: 10.1088/0963-0252/25/2/025018

You can also contact one of the authors: synek@physics.muni.cz