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Low Cost Compact Nanosecond Pulsed Plasma System for Environmental and Biomedical Applications

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Abstract

Nanosecond pulsed non-thermal atmospheric-pressure plasmas are promising for numerous applications including air and water purification, ozone synthesis, surface sterilization, material processing, and biomedical care. However, the high cost of the nanosecond pulsed power sources has hindered adaptation of the plasma-based technologies for clinical and industrial use. This paper presents a low cost (<100US$) nanosecond pulsed plasma system that consists of a Cockcroft–Walton high voltage charging circuit, a compact nanosecond pulse generator using a spark gap as switch, and a plasma reactor. The nanosecond pulse power source requires only a 12 V DC input, hence is battery operable. Through the optimization of the experimental parameters, pulses with a peak voltage >10 kV, a 3 ns rise time (10 to 90 %), and a 10 ns pulse duration (full width at half maximum) at a pulse repetition rate of up to 500 Hz were achieved in the present study. It has been successfully tested to power three different plasma reactors to form pulsed corona discharges, dielectric barrier discharges, and sliding discharges. The energy efficiency of such a nanosecond pulsed sliding discharge system was assessed in the context of ozone synthesis using air or oxygen as the feed gas, and was found comparable to a previously reported non-thermal plasma system that used commercial high voltage pulsed power sources. This study demonstrated that this low-cost nanosecond pulsed power source can prove to be an energy efficient and simple supply to drive various non-thermal atmospheric-pressure plasma reactors for environmental, medical and other applications.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Frank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics, Old Dominion University, 4211 Monarch Way, Suite 300, Norfolk, VA, 23508, USA

    Muhammad Arif Malik, Karl H. Schoenbach, Richard Heller & Chunqi Jiang

  2. Department of Molecular Biology and Chemistry, Christopher Newport University, Newport News, VA, 23606, USA

    Tarek M. Abdel-Fattah

  3. Applied Research Center, Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Newport News, VA, USA

    Tarek M. Abdel-Fattah

  4. School of Medical Diagnostic and Translational Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA

    Richard Heller

  5. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, 23529, USA

    Chunqi Jiang

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  1. Muhammad Arif Malik
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Correspondence to Muhammad Arif Malik.

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Malik, M.A., Schoenbach, K.H., Abdel-Fattah, T.M. et al. Low Cost Compact Nanosecond Pulsed Plasma System for Environmental and Biomedical Applications. Plasma Chem Plasma Process 37, 59–76 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11090-016-9747-9

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