Pulsed Discharge Plasmas

This book highlights the latest progress in pulsed discharge plasmas presented by front-line researchers worldwide. The science and technology surrounding pulsed discharge plasmas is advanced through a wide scope of interdisciplinary studies into pulsed power and plasma physics. Pulsed discharge plasmas with high-power density, high E/N and high-energy electrons can effectively generate highly reactive plasma. Related applications have gathered strong interests in various fields. With contributions from global scientists, the book elaborates on the theories, numerical simulations, diagnostic methods, discharge characteristics and application technologies of pulsed discharge plasmas. The book is divided into three parts with a total of 35 chapters, including 11 chapters on pulsed discharge generation and mechanism, 12 chapters on pulsed discharge characterization and 12 chapters on pulsed discharge applications (wastewater treatments, biomedicine, surface modification, and energy conversion, etc). The book is a must-have reference for researchers and engineers in related fields and graduate students interested in the subject.

This book presents experimental and theoretical results on extremely powerful plasma generators. It addresses pulsed electrical mega-ampere arcs and the mechanisms of energy transfer from the arc into hydrogen, helium and air under pressures up to 250 MPa and currents up to 2 MA. Extreme plasma parameters and increased energy density in the arc were achieved. It was found experimentally that increasing the initial gas pressure to hundreds of MPa leads to improved arc stability, high efficiency of energy transfer from arc to gas, and plasma enthalpy growth. The data obtained data provides the basis for the development of electrophysical devices with high energy density, e.g. high intensity sources for visible, UV and X-ray irradiation for laser pumping, generators of high enthalpy plasma jets, and plasma chemical reactors.

Plasma methods that effectively combine ultraviolet radiation, active chemicals, and high electric fields offer an alternative to conventional water treatment methods. However, knowledge of the electric breakdown of liquids has not kept pace with this increasing interest, mostly due to the complexity of phenomena related to the plasma breakdown process. Plasma Discharge in Liquid: Water Treatment and Applications provides engineers and scientists with a fundamental understanding of the physical and chemical phenomena associated with plasma discharges in liquids, particularly in water. It also examines state-of-the-art plasma-assisted water treatment technologies. The Physics & Applications of Underwater Plasma Discharges The first part of the book describes the physical mechanism of pulsed electric breakdown in water and other liquids. It looks at how plasma is generated in liquids and discusses the electronic and bubble mechanism theories for how the electric discharge in liquid is initiated. The second part of the book focuses on various water treatment applications, including: Decontamination of volatile organic compounds and remediation of contaminated water Microorganism sterilization and other biological applications Cooling water treatment Drawing extensively on recent research, this one-stop reference combines the physics and applications of electric breakdown in liquids in a single volume. It offers a valuable resource for scientists, engineers, and students interested in the topic of plasmas in liquids.

This is an up-to-date review of studies in the physics of pulsed electrical discharges in a vacuum. It gives the reader detailed information on the processes occurring at electrodes and in vacuum gaps and on the mechanisms of discharge initiation and development. Modern techniques and equipment are described in detail. Their high temporal and spatial resolution may be used to solve a number of problems concerning the short-term and microscopic aspects of discharges. A summary is given of a great deal of experimental data on the kinetics of vacuum breakdown. The authors used these results to identify a series of steps in the vacuum breakdown phenomenon. They were the first to discover and describe the explosive electron emission phenomenon and to show its fundamental role in the spark and the arc stages of a discharge. The information in this book may encourage the reader to design new experiments. The results presented may be applied to solve specific research or engineering problems.

This proceedings volume comprises the invited plenary lectures, contributed and poster papers presented at a symposium organised to mark the successful inauguration of the world's first commercial plant for production of gasoline from natural gas, based on the Mobil methanol-to-gasoline process. The objectives of the Symposium were to present both fundamental research and engineering aspects of the development and commercialization of gas-to-gasoline processes. These include steam reforming, methanol synthesis and methanol-to-gasoline. Possible alternative processes e.g. MOGD, Fischer-Tropsch synthesis of hydrocarbons, and the direct conversion of methane to higher hydrocarbons were also considered. The papers in this volume provide a valuable and extremely wide-ranging overview of current research into the various options for natural gas conversion, giving a detailed description of the gas-to-gasoline process and plant. Together, they represent a unique combination of fundamental surface chemistry catalyst characterization, reaction chemistry and engineering scale-up and commercialization.

Written by a team of pioneering scientists from around the world, Low Temperature Plasma Technology: Methods and Applications brings together recent technological advances and research in the rapidly growing field of low temperature plasmas. The book provides a comprehensive overview of related phenomena such as plasma bullets, plasma penetration into biofilms, discharge-mode transition of atmospheric pressure plasmas, and self-organization of microdischarges. It describes relevant technology and diagnostics, including nanosecond pulsed discharge, cavity ringdown spectroscopy, and laser-induced fluorescence measurement, and explores the increasing research on atmospheric pressure nonequilibrium plasma jets. The authors also discuss how low temperature plasmas are used in the synthesis of nanomaterials, environmental applications, the treatment of biomaterials, and plasma medicine. This book provides a balanced and thorough treatment of the core principles, novel technology and diagnostics, and state-of-the-art applications of low temperature plasmas. It is accessible to scientists and graduate students in low-pressure plasma physics, nanotechnology, plasma medicine, and materials science. The book is also suitable as an advanced reference for senior undergraduate students.

Plasma methods that effectively combine ultraviolet radiation, active chemicals, and high electric fields offer an alternative to conventional water treatment methods. However, knowledge of the electric breakdown of liquids has not kept pace with this increasing interest, mostly due to the complexity of phenomena related to the plasma breakdown process. Plasma Discharge in Liquid: Water Treatment and Applications provides engineers and scientists with a fundamental understanding of the physical and chemical phenomena associated with plasma discharges in liquids, particularly in water. It also examines state-of-the-art plasma-assisted water treatment technologies. The Physics & Applications of Underwater Plasma Discharges The first part of the book describes the physical mechanism of pulsed electric breakdown in water and other liquids. It looks at how plasma is generated in liquids and discusses the electronic and bubble mechanism theories for how the electric discharge in liquid is initiated. The second part of the book focuses on various water treatment applications, including: Decontamination of volatile organic compounds and remediation of contaminated water Microorganism sterilization and other biological applications Cooling water treatment Drawing extensively on recent research, this one-stop reference combines the physics and applications of electric breakdown in liquids in a single volume. It offers a valuable resource for scientists, engineers, and students interested in the topic of plasmas in liquids.

An Advanced Study Institute on Radiative Processes in Discharge Plasmas was held at the Atholl Palace Hotel, Pitlochry, Perthshire, Scotland, June 23 through July 5, 1985. This publication is the Pro ceedings from that Institute. The Institute was attended by eighty-five Participants and Lecturers representing the United States, Canada, France, West Germany, Greece, The Netherlands, Portugal, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland. A distinguished faculty of eighteen Lecturers was assembled and the topical program organized with the assistance of an Advisory Committee composed of: Dr. John Waymouth, USA; Dr. Timm Teich, Switzerland; Dr. Arthur Phelps, USA; Dr. Nicol Peacock, England; Professor Erich Kunhardt, USA; Dr. Anthony Hyder, USA; and Dr. Arthur Guenther, USA. The underlying theme and objective of the Institute was the enhance ment of scientific communication and exchange among academic, industrial, and national laboratory groups having a common concern for radiative processes in discharge plasmas. The program was organized into four major sessions sequentially treating: the fundamental science of visible and near-visible radiation in plasmas; the technology of discharge light sources; recent and novel methods for the generation of plasmas; and an update on advances in laser-based diagnostics. Each major session culmi nated in a panel discussion comprised of the Lecturers for that session.