Method and arrangement for controlling a glow discharge plasma under atmospheric conditions

• Main Authors: DE VRIES, HINDRIK WILLEM, VAN DE SANDEN, MAURITIUS CORNELIUS MARIA, BOUWSTRA, JAN BASTIAAN, ALDEA, EUGEN, PEETERS, PAUL, KAMIYAMA, YOICHIRO
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 07.03.2007
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS; ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; PLASMA TECHNIQUE; PRODUCTION OF ACCELERATED ELECTRICALLY-CHARGED PARTICLES OR OFNEUTRONS; PRODUCTION OR ACCELERATION OF NEUTRAL MOLECULAR OR ATOMICBEAMS

The present invention is directed to a method and arrangement for controlling a glow discharge plasma in a gas or gas mixture under atmospheric conditions, in a plasma discharge space comprising at least two spaced electrodes (2), wherein at least one plasma pulse having an absolute pulse maximum is generated by applying an AC plasma energizing voltage to the electrodes (2) causing a plasma current and a displacement current. The plasma is controlled by providing a relative decrease of the displacement current after the pulse maximum. In a preferred embodiment, the energizing voltage is applied through a series circuit of a choke coil (3) and a non-saturable inductor (4).