Non-thermal dielectric barrier discharge plasma induces angiogenesis through reactive oxygen species.

Science.gov (United States)

Arjunan, Krishna Priya; Friedman, Gary; Fridman, Alexander; Clyne, Alisa Morss

2012-01-07

Vascularization plays a key role in processes such as wound healing and tissue engineering. Non-thermal plasma, which primarily produces reactive oxygen species (ROS), has recently emerged as an efficient tool in medical applications including blood coagulation, sterilization and malignant cell apoptosis. Liquids and porcine aortic endothelial cells were treated with a non-thermal dielectric barrier discharge plasma in vitro. Plasma treatment of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and serum-free medium increased ROS concentration in a dose-dependent manner, with a higher concentration observed in serum-free medium compared with PBS. Species concentration inside cells peaked 1 h after treatment, followed by a decrease 3 h post treatment. Endothelial cells treated with a plasma dose of 4.2 J cm(-2) had 1.7 times more cells than untreated samples 5 days after plasma treatment. The 4.2 J cm(-2) plasma dose increased two-dimensional migration distance by 40 per cent compared with untreated control, while the number of cells that migrated through a three-dimensional collagen gel increased by 15 per cent. Tube formation was also enhanced by plasma treatment, with tube lengths in plasma-treated samples measuring 2.6 times longer than control samples. A fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) neutralizing antibody and ROS scavengers abrogated these angiogenic effects. These data indicate that plasma enhanced proliferation, migration and tube formation is due to FGF-2 release induced by plasma-produced ROS. Non-thermal plasma may be used as a potential tool for applying ROS in precise doses to enhance vascularization.

Abatement of global warming gas emissions from semiconductor manufacturing processes by non-thermal plasma-catalyst systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chang, J-S.; Urashima, K. [McMaster Univ., McIARS and Dept. Eng. Phys., Hamilton, Ontario (Canada)

2009-07-01

Emission of various hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) and greenhouse gases including perfluoro-compounds (PFCs) from semiconductor industries may cause significant impact on human health and the global environment, has attracted much public attention. In this paper, an application of nonthermal plasma-adsorbent system for a removal of PFCs emission from semiconductor process flue gases is experimentally investigated. The non-thermal plasma reactor used is the ferro-electric packed-bed type barrier discharge plasma and adsorbent reactor used is Zeolite bed reactor. The results show that for a simulated semiconductor process flue gas with C{sub 2}F{sub 6} (2000ppm)/ CF{sub 4}(1000ppm)/ N{sub 2}O(1000ppm)/ N{sub 2}/ Air mixture, 54% of C{sub 2}F{sub 6} and 32% of CF{sub 4} were decomposed by the plasma reactor and 100% of C{sub 2}F{sub 6} and 98% of CF{sub 4} were removed by plasma reactor/Zeolite adsorbent hybrid system. For a simulated semiconductor process flue gas with NF{sub 3} (2000ppm)/ SiF{sub 4}(1000ppm)/ N{sub 2}O(200ppm)/ N{sub 2}/ Air mixture, 92% of NF{sub 3} and 32% of SiF{sub 4} were decomposed by the plasma reactor and total (100%) removal of the pollutant gases was achieved by plasma reactor/Zeolite adsorbent hybrid system. (author)

Toluene degradation by non-thermal plasma combined with a ferroelectric catalyst.

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Wen-Jun; Ma, Lin; Liu, Huan; Li, Jian

2013-08-01

Degradation of toluene in a gas by non-thermal plasma with a ferroelectric catalyst was studied at normal temperature and atmospheric pressure. Spontaneous polarization material (BaTiO3) and photocatalyst (TiO2) were added into plasma system simultively. Toluene degradation efficiency and specific energy density during the discharge process were investigated. Furthermore, byproducts and degradation mechanisms of toluene were also investigated. The toluene degradation efficiency increased when non-thermal plasma technology was combined with the catalyst. The toluene degradation efficiencies of the different catalysts tested were in the following order: BaTiO3/TiO2>BaTiO3>TiO2>no catalyst. A mass ratio of 2.38:1 was optimum for the BaTiO3 and TiO2 catalyst. The outlet gas was analyzed by gas chromatography and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and the main compounds detected were CO2, H2O, O3 and benzene ring derivatives. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Non equilibrium atomic processes and plasma spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kato, Takako

2003-01-01

Along with the technical progress in plasma spectroscopy, non equilibrium ionization processes have been recently observed. We study non local thermodynamic equilibrium and non ionization equilibrium for various kinds of plasmas. Specifically we discuss non equilibrium atomic processes in magnetically confined plasmas, solar flares and laser produced plasmas using a collisional radiative model based on plasma spectroscopic data. (author)

Paracetamol degradation in aqueous solution by non-thermal plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Baloul, Yasmine; Aubry, Olivier; Rabat, Hervé; Colas, Cyril; Maunit, Benoît; Hong, Dunpin

2017-08-01

This study deals with paracetamol degradation in water using a non-thermal plasma (NTP) created by a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD). The effects of the NTP operating conditions on the degradation were studied, showing that the treatment efficiency of the process was highly dependent on the electrical parameters and working gas composition in the reactor containing the aqueous solution. A conversion rate higher than 99% was reached with an energy yield of 12 g/kWh. High resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) measurements showed that the main species produced in water during the process were nitrogen compounds, carboxylic acids and aromatic compounds. Contribution to the topical issue "The 15th International Symposium on High Pressure Low Temperature Plasma Chemistry (HAKONE XV)", edited by Nicolas Gherardi and Tomáš Hoder

Synthesis of functional nanocrystallites through reactive thermal plasma processing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takamasa Ishigaki and Ji-Guang Li

2007-01-01

Full Text Available A method of synthesizing functional nanostructured powders through reactive thermal plasma processing has been developed. The synthesis of nanosized titanium oxide powders was performed by the oxidation of solid and liquid precursors. Quench gases, either injected from the shoulder of the reactor or injected counter to the plasma plume from the bottom of the reactor, were used to vary the quench rate, and therefore the particle size, of the resultant powders. The experimental results are well supported by numerical analysis on the effects of the quench gas on the flow pattern and temperature field of the thermal plasma as well as on the trajectory and temperature history of the particles. The plasma-synthesized TiO2 nanoparticles showed phase preferences different from those synthesized by conventional wet-chemical processes. Nanosized particles of high crystallinity and nonequilibrium chemical composition were formed in one step via reactive thermal plasma processing.

Simulations of planar non-thermal plasma assisted ignition at atmospheric pressure

KAUST Repository

Casey, Tiernan A.; Han, Jie; Belhi, Memdouh; Arias, Paul G.; Bisetti, Fabrizio; Im, Hong G.; Chen, Jyh Yuan

2016-01-01

neutrals and ions to the non-thermal electrons. A two-temperature plasma mechanism describing gas phase combustion, excitation of neutral species, and high-energy electron kinetics is employed to account for non-thermal effects. Charged species transported

Non-thermally activated chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stiller, W.

1987-01-01

The subject is covered under the following headings: state-of-the art of non-thermally activated chemical processes; basic phenomena in non-thermal chemistry including mechanochemistry, photochemistry, laser chemistry, electrochemistry, photo-electro chemistry, high-field chemistry, magneto chemistry, plasma chemistry, radiation chemistry, hot-atom chemistry, and positronium and muonium chemistry; elementary processes in non-thermal chemistry including nuclear chemistry, interactions of electromagnetic radiations, electrons and heavy particles with matter, ionic elementary processes, elementary processes with excited species, radicalic elementary processes, and energy-induced elementary processes on surfaces and interfaces; and comparative considerations. An appendix with historical data and a subject index is given. 44 figs., 41 tabs., and 544 refs

A dc non-thermal atmospheric-pressure plasma microjet

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, WeiDong; Lopez, Jose L.

2012-06-01

A direct current (dc), non-thermal, atmospheric-pressure plasma microjet is generated with helium/oxygen gas mixture as working gas. The electrical property is characterized as a function of the oxygen concentration and show distinctive regions of operation. Side-on images of the jet were taken to analyze the mode of operation as well as the jet length. A self-pulsed mode is observed before the transition of the discharge to normal glow mode. Optical emission spectroscopy is employed from both end-on and side-on along the jet to analyze the reactive species generated in the plasma. Line emissions from atomic oxygen (at 777.4 nm) and helium (at 706.5 nm) were studied with respect to the oxygen volume percentage in the working gas, flow rate and discharge current. Optical emission intensities of Cu and OH are found to depend heavily on the oxygen concentration in the working gas. Ozone concentration measured in a semi-confined zone in front of the plasma jet is found to be from tens to ˜120 ppm. The results presented here demonstrate potential pathways for the adjustment and tuning of various plasma parameters such as reactive species selectivity and quantities or even ultraviolet emission intensities manipulation in an atmospheric-pressure non-thermal plasma source. The possibilities of fine tuning these plasma species allows for enhanced applications in health and medical related areas.

A dc non-thermal atmospheric-pressure plasma microjet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Weidong; Lopez, Jose L

2012-01-01

A direct current (dc), non-thermal, atmospheric-pressure plasma microjet is generated with helium/oxygen gas mixture as working gas. The electrical property is characterized as a function of the oxygen concentration and show distinctive regions of operation. Side-on images of the jet were taken to analyze the mode of operation as well as the jet length. A self-pulsed mode is observed before the transition of the discharge to normal glow mode. Optical emission spectroscopy is employed from both end-on and side-on along the jet to analyze the reactive species generated in the plasma. Line emissions from atomic oxygen (at 777.4 nm) and helium (at 706.5 nm) were studied with respect to the oxygen volume percentage in the working gas, flow rate and discharge current. Optical emission intensities of Cu and OH are found to depend heavily on the oxygen concentration in the working gas. Ozone concentration measured in a semi-confined zone in front of the plasma jet is found to be from tens to ∼120 ppm. The results presented here demonstrate potential pathways for the adjustment and tuning of various plasma parameters such as reactive species selectivity and quantities or even ultraviolet emission intensities manipulation in an atmospheric-pressure non-thermal plasma source. The possibilities of fine tuning these plasma species allows for enhanced applications in health and medical related areas. (paper)

Non-Thermal Sanitation By Atmospheric Pressure Plasma, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — ORBITEC proposes to develop a non-thermal technology based on atmospheric-pressure (AP) cold plasma to sanitize foods, food packaging materials, and other hardware...

Evaluation of thermal and non-thermal processing effect on non-prebiotic and prebiotic acerola juices using 1H qNMR and GC-MS coupled to chemometrics.

Science.gov (United States)

Alves Filho, Elenilson G; Silva, Lorena Mara A; de Brito, Edy S; Wurlitzer, Nedio Jair; Fernandes, Fabiano A N; Rabelo, Maria Cristiane; Fonteles, Thatyane V; Rodrigues, Sueli

2018-11-01

The effects of thermal (pasteurization and sterilization) and non-thermal (ultrasound and plasma) processing on the composition of prebiotic and non-prebiotic acerola juices were evaluated using NMR and GC-MS coupled to chemometrics. The increase in the amount of Vitamin C was the main feature observed after thermal processing, followed by malic acid, choline, trigonelline, and acetaldehyde. On the other hand, thermal processing increased the amount of 2-furoic acid, a degradation product from ascorbic acid, as well as influenced the decrease in the amount of esters and alcohols. In general, the non-thermal processing did not present relevant effect on juices composition. The addition of prebiotics (inulin and gluco-oligosaccharides) decreased the effect of processing on juices composition, which suggested a protective effect by microencapsulation. Therefore, chemometric evaluation of the 1 H qNMR and GC-MS dataset was suitable to follow changes in acerola juice under different processing. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Atmospheric non-thermal argon-oxygen plasma for sunflower seedling growth improvement

Science.gov (United States)

Matra, Khanit

2018-01-01

Seedling growth enhancement of sunflower seeds by DC atmospheric non-thermal Ar-O2 plasma has been proposed. The plasma reactor was simply designed by the composition of multi-pin electrodes bonded on a solderable printed circuit board (PCB) anode. A stable plasma was exhibited in the non-periodical self-pulsing discharge mode during the seed treatment. The experimental results showed that non-thermal plasma treatment had a significant positive effect on the sunflower seeds. Ar-O2 mixed gas ratio, treatment time and power source voltage are the important parameters affecting growth stimulation of sunflower sprouts. In this research, the sunflower seeds treated with 3:3 liters per minute (LPM) of Ar-O2 plasma at a source voltage of 8 kV for 1 min showed the best results in stimulating the seedling growth. The results in this case showed that the dry weight and average shoot length of the sunflower sprouts were 1.79 and 2.69 times higher and heavier than those of the untreated seeds, respectively.

State of the art in medical applications using non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Tanaka, Hiromasa; Ishikawa, Kenji; Mizuno, Masaaki; Toyokuni, Shinya; Kajiyama, Hiroaki; Kikkawa, Fumitaka; Metelmann, Hans-Robert; Hori, Masaru

2017-12-01

Plasma medical science is a novel interdisciplinary field that combines studies on plasma science and medical science, with the anticipation that understanding the scientific principles governing plasma medical science will lead to innovations in the field. Non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma has been used for medical treatments, such as for cancer, blood coagulation, and wound healing. The interactions that occur between plasma and cells/tissues have been analyzed extensively. Direct and indirect treatment of cells with plasma has broadened the applications of non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma in medicine. Examples of indirect treatment include plasma-assisted immune-therapy and plasma-activated medium. Controlling intracellular redox balance may be key in plasma cancer treatment. Animal studies are required to test the effectiveness and safety of these treatments for future clinical applications.

Pre-treating water with non-thermal plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Young I.; Fridman, Alexander; Rabinovich, Alexander; Cho, Daniel J.

2017-07-04

The present invention consists of a method of pre-treatment of adulterated water for distillation, including adulterated water produced during hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") of shale rock during natural gas drilling. In particular, the invention is directed to a method of treating adulterated water, said adulterated water having an initial level of bicarbonate ion in a range of about 250 ppm to about 5000 ppm and an initial level of calcium ion in a range of about 500 ppm to about 50,000 ppm, said method comprising contacting the adulterated water with a non-thermal arc discharge plasma to produce plasma treated water having a level of bicarbonate ion of less than about 100 ppm. Optionally, the plasma treated water may be further distilled.

Investigation of non-thermal plasma effects on lung cancer cells within 3D collagen matrices

Science.gov (United States)

Karki, Surya B.; Thapa Gupta, Tripti; Yildirim-Ayan, Eda; Eisenmann, Kathryn M.; Ayan, Halim

2017-08-01

Recent breakthroughs in plasma medicine have identified a potential application for the non-thermal plasma in cancer therapy. Most studies on the effects of non-thermal plasma on cancer cells have used traditional two-dimensional (2D) monolayer cell culture. However, very few studies are conducted employing non-thermal plasma in animal models. Two dimensional models do not fully mimic the three-dimensional (3D) tumor microenvironment and animal models are expensive and time-consuming. Therefore, we used 3D collagen matrices that closely resemble the native geometry of cancer tissues and provide more physiologically relevant results than 2D models, while providing a more cost effective and efficient precursor to animal studies. We previously demonstrated a role for non-thermal plasma application in promoting apoptotic cell death and reducing the viability of A549 lung adenocarcinoma epithelial cells cultured upon 2D matrices. In this study, we wished to determine the efficacy of non-thermal plasma application in driving apoptotic cell death of A549 lung cancer cells encapsulated within a 3D collagen matrix. The percentage of apoptosis increased as treatment time increased and was time dependent. In addition, the anti-viability effect of plasma was demonstrated. Twenty-four hours post-plasma treatment, 38% and 99% of cell death occurred with shortest (15 s) and longest treatment time (120 s) respectively at the plasma-treated region. We found that plasma has a greater effect on the viability of A549 lung cancer cells on the superficial surface of 3D matrices and has diminishing effects as it penetrates the 3D matrix. We also identified the nitrogen and oxygen species generated by plasma and characterized their penetration in vertical and lateral directions within the 3D matrix from the center of the plasma-treated region. Therefore, the utility of non-thermal dielectric barrier discharge plasma in driving apoptosis and reducing the viability of lung cancer cells

Investigation of non-thermal plasma effects on lung cancer cells within 3D collagen matrices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karki, Surya B; Gupta, Tripti Thapa; Yildirim-Ayan, Eda; Ayan, Halim; Eisenmann, Kathryn M

2017-01-01

Recent breakthroughs in plasma medicine have identified a potential application for the non-thermal plasma in cancer therapy. Most studies on the effects of non-thermal plasma on cancer cells have used traditional two-dimensional (2D) monolayer cell culture. However, very few studies are conducted employing non-thermal plasma in animal models. Two dimensional models do not fully mimic the three-dimensional (3D) tumor microenvironment and animal models are expensive and time-consuming. Therefore, we used 3D collagen matrices that closely resemble the native geometry of cancer tissues and provide more physiologically relevant results than 2D models, while providing a more cost effective and efficient precursor to animal studies. We previously demonstrated a role for non-thermal plasma application in promoting apoptotic cell death and reducing the viability of A549 lung adenocarcinoma epithelial cells cultured upon 2D matrices. In this study, we wished to determine the efficacy of non-thermal plasma application in driving apoptotic cell death of A549 lung cancer cells encapsulated within a 3D collagen matrix. The percentage of apoptosis increased as treatment time increased and was time dependent. In addition, the anti-viability effect of plasma was demonstrated. Twenty-four hours post-plasma treatment, 38% and 99% of cell death occurred with shortest (15 s) and longest treatment time (120 s) respectively at the plasma-treated region. We found that plasma has a greater effect on the viability of A549 lung cancer cells on the superficial surface of 3D matrices and has diminishing effects as it penetrates the 3D matrix. We also identified the nitrogen and oxygen species generated by plasma and characterized their penetration in vertical and lateral directions within the 3D matrix from the center of the plasma-treated region. Therefore, the utility of non-thermal dielectric barrier discharge plasma in driving apoptosis and reducing the viability of lung cancer cells

Formation of hydrophobic coating on glass surface using atmospheric pressure non-thermal plasma in ambient air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fang, Z; Qiu, Y; Kuffel, E

2004-01-01

Non-thermal plasmas under atmospheric pressure are of great interest in material surface processing because of their convenience, effectiveness and low cost. In this paper, the treatment of a glass surface for improving hydrophobicity using a non-thermal plasma generated by a dielectric barrier corona discharge (DBCD) with a needle array-to-plane electrode arrangement in atmospheric air is conducted, and the surface properties of the glass before and after the DBCD treatment are studied using contact angle measurement, surface resistance measurement and the wet flashover voltage test. The effects of the plasma dose (the product of average discharge power and treatment time) of DBCD on the surface modification are studied, and the mechanism of interaction between the plasma and glass surface is discussed. It is found that a layer of hydrophobic coating is formed on the glass surface through DBCD treatment, and the improvement of hydrophobicity depends on the plasma dose of the DBCD. It seems that there is an optimum plasma dose for the surface treatment. The test results of thermal ageing and chemical ageing show that the hydrophobic layer has quite stable characteristics

Composition and partition functions of partially ionized hydrogen plasma in Non-Local Thermal Equilibrium (Non-LThE) and Non-Local Chemical Equilibrium (Non-LChE)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Kuan; Eddy, T.L.

1993-01-01

A GTME (Generalized MultiThermodynamic Equilibrium) plasma model is developed for plasmas in both Non-LThE (Non-Local Thermal Equilibrium) and Non-LChE (Non-Local Chemical Equilibrium). The model uses multitemperatures for thermal nonequilibrium and non-zero chemical affinities as a measure of the deviation from chemical equilibrium. The plasma is treated as an ideal gas with the Debye-Hueckel approximation employed for pressure correction. The proration method is used when the cutoff energy level is between two discrete levels. The composition and internal partition functions of a hydrogen plasma are presented for electron temperatures ranging from 5000 to 35000 K and pressures from 0.1 to 1000 kPa. Number densities of 7 different species of hydrogen plasma and internal partition functions of different energy modes (rotational, vibrational, and electronic excitation) are computed for three affinity values. The results differ from other plasma properties in that they 1) are not based on equilibrium properties; and 2) are expressed as a function of different energy distribution parameters (temperatures) within each energy mode of each species as appropriate. The computed number densities and partition functions are applicable to calculating the thermodynamic, transport, and radiation properties of a hydrogen plasma not in thermal and chemical equilibria. The nonequilibrium plasma model and plasma compositions presented in this paper are very useful to the diagnosis of high-speed and/or low-pressure plasma flows in which the assumptions of local thermal and chemical equilibrium are invalid. (orig.)

Modeling of thermalization phenomena in coaxial plasma accelerators

Science.gov (United States)

Subramaniam, Vivek; Panneerchelvam, Premkumar; Raja, Laxminarayan L.

2018-05-01

Coaxial plasma accelerators are electromagnetic acceleration devices that employ a self-induced Lorentz force to produce collimated plasma jets with velocities ~50 km s‑1. The accelerator operation is characterized by the formation of an ionization/thermalization zone near gas inlet of the device that continually processes the incoming neutral gas into a highly ionized thermal plasma. In this paper, we present a 1D non-equilibrium plasma model to resolve the plasma formation and the electron-heavy species thermalization phenomena that take place in the thermalization zone. The non-equilibrium model is based on a self-consistent multi-species continuum description of the plasma with finite-rate chemistry. The thermalization zone is modelled by tracking a 1D gas-bit as it convects down the device with an initial gas pressure of 1 atm. The thermalization process occurs in two stages. The first is a plasma production stage, associated with a rapid increase in the charged species number densities facilitated by cathode surface electron emission and volumetric production processes. The production stage results in the formation of a two-temperature plasma with electron energies of ~2.5 eV in a low temperature background gas of ~300 K. The second, a temperature equilibration stage, is characterized by the energy transfer between the electrons and heavy species. The characteristic length scale for thermalization is found to be comparable to axial length of the accelerator thus putting into question the equilibrium magnetohydrodynamics assumption used in modeling coaxial accelerators.

Non-thermal Plasma Exposure Rapidly Attenuates Bacterial AHL-Dependent Quorum Sensing and Virulence

Science.gov (United States)

Flynn, Padrig B.; Busetti, Alessandro; Wielogorska, Ewa; Chevallier, Olivier P.; Elliott, Christopher T.; Laverty, Garry; Gorman, Sean P.; Graham, William G.; Gilmore, Brendan F.

2016-01-01

The antimicrobial activity of atmospheric pressure non-thermal plasma has been exhaustively characterised, however elucidation of the interactions between biomolecules produced and utilised by bacteria and short plasma exposures are required for optimisation and clinical translation of cold plasma technology. This study characterizes the effects of non-thermal plasma exposure on acyl homoserine lactone (AHL)-dependent quorum sensing (QS). Plasma exposure of AHLs reduced the ability of such molecules to elicit a QS response in bacterial reporter strains in a dose-dependent manner. Short exposures (30–60 s) produce of a series of secondary compounds capable of eliciting a QS response, followed by the complete loss of AHL-dependent signalling following longer exposures. UPLC-MS analysis confirmed the time-dependent degradation of AHL molecules and their conversion into a series of by-products. FT-IR analysis of plasma-exposed AHLs highlighted the appearance of an OH group. In vivo assessment of the exposure of AHLs to plasma was examined using a standard in vivo model. Lettuce leaves injected with the rhlI/lasI mutant PAO-MW1 alongside plasma treated N-butyryl-homoserine lactone and n-(3-oxo-dodecanoyl)-homoserine lactone, exhibited marked attenuation of virulence. This study highlights the capacity of atmospheric pressure non-thermal plasma to modify and degrade AHL autoinducers thereby attenuating QS-dependent virulence in P. aeruginosa. PMID:27242335

Self-organization process of a magnetohydrodynamic plasma in the presence of thermal conduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, Shao-ping; Horiuchi, Ritoku; Sato, Tetsuya; Watanabe, K.; Hayashi, T.; Todo, Y.; Watanabe, T.H.; Kageyama, A.; Takamaru, H.

1995-12-01

A self-organization process of a magnetohydrodynamic(MHD) plasma with a finite thermal conductivity is investigated by means of a three-dimensional MHD simulation. With no thermal conduction an MHD system self-organizes to a non-Taylor's state in which the electric current perpendicular to the magnetic field remains comparable to the parallel electric current. In the presence of thermal conductivity the perpendicular component of electric current and the nonuniformity of thermal pressure generated by driven reconnection tend to be smoothened. Thus, the self-organized state approaches to a force-free minimum energy state under the influence of thermal conduction. Detailed energy conversion processes are also studied to find that the rapid decay of magnetic energy during the self-organization process is caused not only through the ohmic heating, but also through the work done by the j x B force. (author)

Non-thermal plasma mills bacteria: scanning electron microscopy observations

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Lunov, Oleg; Churpita, Olexandr; Zablotskyy, Vitaliy A.; Deyneka, I.G.; Meshkovskii, I.K.; Jäger, Aleš; Syková, Eva; Kubinová, Šárka; Dejneka, Alexandr

2015-01-01

Roč. 106, č. 5 (2015), "053703-1"-"053703-5" ISSN 0003-6951 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LM2011029; GA MŠk(CZ) LM2011026; GA MŠk LO1309 Grant - others:AV ČR(CZ) M100101219; SAFMAT(XE) CZ.2.16/3.1.00/22132 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 ; RVO:68378041 Keywords : non-thermal plasma * plasma medicine * bacteria * cells Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics Impact factor: 3.142, year: 2015

Application of pulsed power and power modulation to the non-thermal plasma treatment of hazardous gaseous wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Penetrante, B.M.

1992-10-01

Acid rain, global warming, ozone depletion, and smog are preeminent environmental problems facing the world today. Non-thermal plasma techniques offer an innovative approach to the cost-effective solution of these problems. Many potential applications of non-thermal plasmas to air pollution control have already been demonstrated. The use of pulsed power and power modulation is essential to the successful implementation of non-thermal plasma techniques. This paper provides an overview of the most recent developments in non-thermal plasma systems that have been applied to gaseous waste treatment. In the non-thermal plasma approach, the nonequilibrium properties of the plasma are fully exploited. These plasmas are characterized by high electron temperatures, while the gas remains at near ambient temperature and pressure. The energy is directed preferentially to the undesirable components, which are often present in very small concentrations. These techniques utilize the dissociation and ionization of the background gas to produce radicals which, in turn, decompose the toxic compounds. The key to success in the non-thermal plasma approach is to produce a discharge in which the majority of the electrical energy goes into the production of energetic electrons, rather than into gas heating. For example, in a typical application to flue gas cleanup, these electrons produce radicals, such as O and OH, through the dissociation or ionization of molecules such as H 2 O or O 2 . The radicals diffuse through the gas and preferentially oxidize the nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides to form acids that can then be easily neutralized to form non-toxic, easily-collectible (and commercially salable) compounds. Non-thermal plasmas can be created in essentially two different ways: by electron-beam irradiation, and by electrical discharges

Non-thermal plasma destruction of allyl alcohol in waste gas: kinetics and modelling

Science.gov (United States)

DeVisscher, A.; Dewulf, J.; Van Durme, J.; Leys, C.; Morent, R.; Van Langenhove, H.

2008-02-01

Non-thermal plasma treatment is a promising technique for the destruction of volatile organic compounds in waste gas. A relatively unexplored technique is the atmospheric negative dc multi-pin-to-plate glow discharge. This paper reports experimental results of allyl alcohol degradation and ozone production in this type of plasma. A new model was developed to describe these processes quantitatively. The model contains a detailed chemical degradation scheme, and describes the physics of the plasma by assuming that the fraction of electrons that takes part in chemical reactions is an exponential function of the reduced field. The model captured the experimental kinetic data to less than 2 ppm standard deviation.

Non-thermal plasma destruction of allyl alcohol in waste gas: kinetics and modelling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Visscher, A de; Dewulf, J; Durme, J van; Leys, C; Morent, R; Langenhove, H Van

2008-01-01

Non-thermal plasma treatment is a promising technique for the destruction of volatile organic compounds in waste gas. A relatively unexplored technique is the atmospheric negative dc multi-pin-to-plate glow discharge. This paper reports experimental results of allyl alcohol degradation and ozone production in this type of plasma. A new model was developed to describe these processes quantitatively. The model contains a detailed chemical degradation scheme, and describes the physics of the plasma by assuming that the fraction of electrons that takes part in chemical reactions is an exponential function of the reduced field. The model captured the experimental kinetic data to less than 2 ppm standard deviation

Removal of dimethyl sulfide by the combination of non-thermal plasma and biological process.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Z S; Li, H Q; He, J C; Ye, Q H; Huang, Q R; Luo, Y W

2013-10-01

A bench scale system integrated with a non-thermal plasma (NTP) and a biotricking filtration (BTF) unit for the treatment of gases containing dimethyl sulfide (DMS) was investigated. DMS removal efficiency in the integrated system was up to 96%. Bacterial communities in the BTF were assessed by PCR-DGGE, which play the dominant role in the biological processes of metabolism, sulfur oxidation, sulfate-reducing and carbon oxidation. The addition of ozone from NTP made microbial community in BTF more complicated and active for DMS removal. The NTP oxidize DMS to simple compounds such as methanol and carbonyl sulfide; the intermediate organic products and DMS are further oxidized to sulfate, carbon dioxide, water vapors by biological degradation. These results show that NTP-BTF is achievable and open new possibilities for applying the integrated with NTP and BTF to odour gas treatment. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Thermal plasma treatment of stormwater sediments: comparison between DC non-transferred and partially transferred arc plasma.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, O L; Guo, Y; Chang, J S; Saito, N

2015-01-01

The disposal of enormous amount of stormwater sediments becomes an emerging worldwide problem. Stormwater sediments are contaminated by heavy metals, phosphorus, trace organic and hydrocarbons, and cannot be disposed without treatment. Thermal plasma decontamination technology offers a high decomposition rate in a wide range of toxic organic compound and immobilization of heavy metal. In this study, we compared the treatment results between two different modes of thermal plasma: (1) a non-transferred direct current (DC) mode and (2) a partial DC-transferred mode. The reductions of total organic carbon (TOC) were, respectively, 25% and 80% for non-transferred and partially transferred plasma, respectively. Most of the toxic organic compounds were converted majorly to CxHy. In the gaseous emission, the accumulated CxHy, CO, NO and H2S were significantly higher in partially transferred mode than in non-transferred mode. The solid analysis demonstrated that the concentrations of Ca and Fe were enriched by 500% and 40%, respectively. New chemical compositions such as KAlSi3O8, Fe3O4, NaCl and CaSO4 were formed after treatment in partially DC-transferred mode. The power inputs were 1 and 10 kW, respectively, for non-transferred DC mode and a partially DC-transferred mode. With a lower energy input, non-transferred plasma treatment can be used for decontamination of sediments with low TOC and metal concentration. Meanwhile, partially transferred thermal plasma with higher energy input is suitable for treating sediments with high TOC percentage and volatile metal concentration. The organic compounds are converted into valuable gaseous products which can be recycled as an energy source.

A non-equilibrium simulation of thermal constriction in a cascaded arc hydrogen plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peerenboom, K S C; Goedheer, W J; Van Dijk, J; Kroesen, G M W

2014-01-01

The cascaded arc hydrogen plasma of Pilot-PSI is studied in a non-LTE model. We demonstrate that the effect of vibrationally excited molecules on the heavy-particle-assisted dissociation is crucial for obtaining thermal constriction. To the best of our knowledge, thermal constriction has not been obtained before in a non-LTE simulation. Probably, realistic numerical studies of this type of plasma were hindered by numerical problems, preventing the non-LTE simulations to show characteristic physical mechanisms such as thermal constriction. In this paper we show that with the help of appropriate numerical strategies thermal constriction can be obtained in a non-LTE simulation. To this end, a new source term linearization technique is developed, which ensures physical solutions even near chemical equilibrium where the composition is dominated by chemical source terms. Results of the model are compared with experiments on Pilot-PSI and show good agreement with pressure and voltage measurements in the source. (paper)

Plasma processes and film growth of expanding thermal plasma deposited textured zinc oxide

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Groenen, R.; Linden, J.L.; Sanden, van de M.C.M.

2005-01-01

Plasma processes and film growth of textured zinc oxide deposited from oxygen and diethyl zinc utilizing expanding thermal argon plasma created by a cascaded arc is discussed. In all conditions explored, an excess of argon ions and low temperature electrons is available, which represent the

Non-thermal plasma-induced photocatalytic degradation of 4-chlorophenol in water.

Science.gov (United States)

Hao, Xiao Long; Zhou, Ming Hua; Lei, Le Cheng

2007-03-22

TiO(2) photocatalyst (P-25) (50mgL(-1)) was tentatively introduced into pulsed high-voltage discharge process for non-thermal plasma-induced photocatalytic degradation of the representative mode organic pollutant parachlorophenol (4-CP), including other compounds phenol and methyl red in water. The experimental results showed that rate constant of 4-CP degradation, energy efficiency for 4-CP removal and TOC removal with TiO(2) were obviously increased. Pulsed high-voltage discharge process with TiO(2) had a promoted effect for the degradation of these pollutants under a broad range of liquid conductivity. Furthermore, the apparent formation rates of chemically active species (e.g., ozone and hydrogen peroxide) were increased, the hydrogen peroxide formation rate from 1.10x10(-6) to 1.50x10(-6)Ms(-1), the ozone formation rate from 1.99x10(-8) to 2.35x10(-8)Ms(-1), respectively. In addition, this process had no influence on the photocatalytic properties of TiO(2). The introduction of TiO(2) photocatalyst into pulsed discharge plasma process in the utilizing of ultraviolet radiation and electric field in pulsed discharge plasma process enhanced the yields of chemically active species, which were available for highly efficient removal and mineralization of organic pollutants.

Non-thermal plasma-induced photocatalytic degradation of 4-chlorophenol in water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hao Xiaolong; Zhou Ming Hua; Lei Lecheng

2007-01-01

TiO 2 photocatalyst (P-25) (50 mg L -1 ) was tentatively introduced into pulsed high-voltage discharge process for non-thermal plasma-induced photocatalytic degradation of the representative mode organic pollutant parachlorophenol (4-CP), including other compounds phenol and methyl red in water. The experimental results showed that rate constant of 4-CP degradation, energy efficiency for 4-CP removal and TOC removal with TiO 2 were obviously increased. Pulsed high-voltage discharge process with TiO 2 had a promoted effect for the degradation of these pollutants under a broad range of liquid conductivity. Furthermore, the apparent formation rates of chemically active species (e.g., ozone and hydrogen peroxide) were increased, the hydrogen peroxide formation rate from 1.10 x 10 -6 to 1.50 x 10 -6 M s -1 , the ozone formation rate from 1.99 x 10 -8 to 2.35 x 10 -8 M s -1 , respectively. In addition, this process had no influence on the photocatalytic properties of TiO 2 . The introduction of TiO 2 photocatalyst into pulsed discharge plasma process in the utilizing of ultraviolet radiation and electric field in pulsed discharge plasma process enhanced the yields of chemically active species, which were available for highly efficient removal and mineralization of organic pollutants

Non-equilibrium synergistic effects in atmospheric pressure plasmas.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Heng; Zhang, Xiao-Ning; Chen, Jian; Li, He-Ping; Ostrikov, Kostya Ken

2018-03-19

Non-equilibrium is one of the important features of an atmospheric gas discharge plasma. It involves complicated physical-chemical processes and plays a key role in various actual plasma processing. In this report, a novel complete non-equilibrium model is developed to reveal the non-equilibrium synergistic effects for the atmospheric-pressure low-temperature plasmas (AP-LTPs). It combines a thermal-chemical non-equilibrium fluid model for the quasi-neutral plasma region and a simplified sheath model for the electrode sheath region. The free-burning argon arc is selected as a model system because both the electrical-thermal-chemical equilibrium and non-equilibrium regions are involved simultaneously in this arc plasma system. The modeling results indicate for the first time that it is the strong and synergistic interactions among the mass, momentum and energy transfer processes that determine the self-consistent non-equilibrium characteristics of the AP-LTPs. An energy transfer process related to the non-uniform spatial distributions of the electron-to-heavy-particle temperature ratio has also been discovered for the first time. It has a significant influence for self-consistently predicting the transition region between the "hot" and "cold" equilibrium regions of an AP-LTP system. The modeling results would provide an instructive guidance for predicting and possibly controlling the non-equilibrium particle-energy transportation process in various AP-LTPs in future.

Non-equilibrium plasma reactor for natrual gas processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shair, F.H.; Ravimohan, A.L.

1974-01-01

A non-equilibrium plasma reactor for natural gas processing into ethane and ethylene comprising means of producing a non-equilibrium chemical plasma wherein selective conversion of the methane in natural gas to desired products of ethane and ethylene at a pre-determined ethane/ethylene ratio in the chemical process may be intimately controlled and optimized at a high electrical power efficiency rate by mixing with a recycling gas inert to the chemical process such as argon, helium, or hydrogen, reducing the residence time of the methane in the chemical plasma, selecting the gas pressure in the chemical plasma from a wide range of pressures, and utilizing pulsed electrical discharge producing the chemical plasma. (author)

Non-thermal plasma instabilities induced by deformation of the electron energy distribution function

Science.gov (United States)

Dyatko, N. A.; Kochetov, I. V.; Napartovich, A. P.

2014-08-01

Non-thermal plasma is a key component in gas lasers, microelectronics, medical applications, waste gas cleaners, ozone generators, plasma igniters, flame holders, flow control in high-speed aerodynamics and others. A specific feature of non-thermal plasma is its high sensitivity to variations in governing parameters (gas composition, pressure, pulse duration, E/N parameter). This sensitivity is due to complex deformations of the electron energy distribution function (EEDF) shape induced by variations in electric field strength, electron and ion number densities and gas excitation degree. Particular attention in this article is paid to mechanisms of instabilities based on non-linearity of plasma properties for specific conditions: gas composition, steady-state and decaying plasma produced by the electron beam, or by an electric current pulse. The following effects are analyzed: the negative differential electron conductivity; the absolute negative electron mobility; the stepwise changes of plasma properties induced by the EEDF bi-stability; thermo-current instability and the constriction of the glow discharge column in rare gases. Some of these effects were observed experimentally and some of them were theoretically predicted and still wait for experimental confirmation.

Characterization of Mullite-Zirconia Composite Processed by Non-Transferred and Transferred Arc Plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yugeswaran, S.; Selvarajan, V.; Lusvarghi, L.; Tok, A. I. Y.; Krishna, D. Siva Rama

2009-01-01

The arc plasma melting technique is a simple method to synthesize high temperature reaction composites. In this study, mullite-zirconia composite was synthesized by transferred and non-transferred arc plasma melting, and the results were compared. A mixture of alumina and zircon powders with a mole ratio of 3: 2 were ball milled for four hours and melted for two minutes in the transferred and non-transferred mode of plasma arcs. Argon and air were used as plasma forming gases. The phase and microstructural formation of melted samples were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The microstructure of the composites was found to be affected by the mode of melting. In transferred arc melting, zirconia flowers with uniform lines along with mullite whiskers were obtained. In the case of non-transferred arc plasma melting, mullite whiskers along with star shape zirconia were formed. Differential thermal analysis (DTA) of the synthesized mullite-zirconia composites provided a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of mullite formation during the two different processes. (plasma technology)

Non-thermal plasma technology for the development of antimicrobial surfaces: a review

Science.gov (United States)

Nikiforov, Anton; Deng, Xiaolong; Xiong, Qing; Cvelbar, U.; DeGeyter, N.; Morent, R.; Leys, Christophe

2016-05-01

Antimicrobial coatings are in high demand in many fields including the biomaterials and healthcare sectors. Within recent progress in nanoscience and engineering at the nanoscale, preparation of nanocomposite films containing metal nanoparticles (such as silver nanoparticles, copper nanoparticles, zinc oxide nanoparticles) is becoming an important step in manufacturing biomaterials with high antimicrobial activity. Controlled release of antibiotic agents and eliminating free nanoparticles are of equal importance for engineering antimicrobial nanocomposite materials. Compared to traditional chemical ‘wet’ methods, plasma deposition and plasma polymerization are promising approaches for the fabrication of nanocomposite films with the advantages of gas phase dry processes, effective use of chemicals and applicability to various substrates. In this article, we present a short overview of state-of-the-art engineering of antimicrobial materials based on the use of non-thermal plasmas at low and atmospheric pressure.

Non-thermal plasma-induced photocatalytic degradation of 4-chlorophenol in water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hao Xiaolong [Institute of Environmental Pollution Control Technologies, Xixi Campus, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310028, Zhejiang (China); Zhou Ming Hua [Institute of Environmental Pollution Control Technologies, Xixi Campus, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310028, Zhejiang (China); Lei Lecheng [Institute of Environmental Pollution Control Technologies, Xixi Campus, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310028, Zhejiang (China)]. E-mail: lclei@zju.edu.cn

2007-03-22

TiO{sub 2} photocatalyst (P-25) (50 mg L{sup -1}) was tentatively introduced into pulsed high-voltage discharge process for non-thermal plasma-induced photocatalytic degradation of the representative mode organic pollutant parachlorophenol (4-CP), including other compounds phenol and methyl red in water. The experimental results showed that rate constant of 4-CP degradation, energy efficiency for 4-CP removal and TOC removal with TiO{sub 2} were obviously increased. Pulsed high-voltage discharge process with TiO{sub 2} had a promoted effect for the degradation of these pollutants under a broad range of liquid conductivity. Furthermore, the apparent formation rates of chemically active species (e.g., ozone and hydrogen peroxide) were increased, the hydrogen peroxide formation rate from 1.10 x 10{sup -6} to 1.50 x 10{sup -6} M s{sup -1}, the ozone formation rate from 1.99 x 10{sup -8} to 2.35 x 10{sup -8} M s{sup -1}, respectively. In addition, this process had no influence on the photocatalytic properties of TiO{sub 2}. The introduction of TiO{sub 2} photocatalyst into pulsed discharge plasma process in the utilizing of ultraviolet radiation and electric field in pulsed discharge plasma process enhanced the yields of chemically active species, which were available for highly efficient removal and mineralization of organic pollutants.

Surface modification of biphasic calcium phosphate scaffolds by non-thermal atmospheric pressure nitrogen and air plasma treatment for improving osteoblast attachment and proliferation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Yu-Ri; Kwon, Jae-Sung; Song, Doo-Hoon; Choi, Eun Ha; Lee, Yong-Keun; Kim, Kyoung-Nam; Kim, Kwang-Mahn

2013-01-01

Surface modifications induced by non-thermal plasma have been used extensively in biomedical applications. The attachment and proliferation of osteoblast cells are important in bone tissue engineering using scaffolds. Hence the effect of non-thermal plasma on hydroxyapatite/β-tri-calcium phosphate (HA/β-TCP) scaffolds in terms of improving osteoblast attachment and proliferation was investigated. Experimental groups were treated with non-thermal plasma for 10 min and 20 min and a control group was not treated with non-thermal plasma. For surface chemistry analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis was carried out. The hydrophilicity was determined from contact angle measurement on the surface. Atomic force microscopy analysis (AFM) was used to test the change in surface roughness and cell attachment and proliferation were evaluated using MC3T3-E1 osteoblast cells. XPS spectra revealed a decreased amount of carbon on the surface of the plasma-treated sample. The contact angle was also decreased following plasma treatment, indicating improved hydrophilicity of plasma-treated surfaces compared to the untreated disc. A significant increase in MC3T3E-1 cell attachment and proliferation was noted on plasma-treated samples as compared to untreated specimens. The results suggest that non-thermal atmospheric pressure nitrogen and air plasma treatments provide beneficial surface characteristics on HA/β-TCP scaffolds. - Highlights: ► Non-thermal plasma increased OH- and decreased C on biphasic scaffold. ► Non-thermal plasma had no effect on surface roughness. ► Non-thermal plasma resulted in hydrophilic surface. ► Non-thermal plasma resulted in better cell attachment and proliferation. ► Non-thermal plasma treatment on biphasic scaffold is useful for tissue engineering

Chemically different non-thermal plasmas target distinct cell death pathways

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Lunov, O.; Zablotskyy, V.; Chrupina, O.; Lunova, M.; Jirsa, M.; Dejneka, A.; Kubinová, Šárka

2017-01-01

Roč. 7, apr (2017), s. 600 ISSN 2045-2322 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LO1309 Institutional support: RVO:68378041 Keywords : chemically different * non-thermal plasmas * target distinct cell death pathways Subject RIV: FP - Other Medical Disciplines OBOR OECD: Biophysics Impact factor: 4.259, year: 2016

Influence of non-thermal plasma on structural and electrical properties of globular and nanostructured conductive polymer polypyrrole in water suspension.

Science.gov (United States)

Galář, Pavel; Khun, Josef; Kopecký, Dušan; Scholtz, Vladimír; Trchová, Miroslava; Fučíková, Anna; Jirešová, Jana; Fišer, Ladislav

2017-11-08

Non-thermal plasma has proved its benefits in medicine, plasma assisted polymerization, food industry and many other fields. Even though, the ability of non-thermal plasma to modify surface properties of various materials is generally known, only limited attention has been given to exploitations of this treatment on conductive polymers. Here, we show study of non-thermal plasma treatment on properties of globular and nanostructured polypyrrole in the distilled water. We observe that plasma presence over the suspension level doesn't change morphology of the polymer (shape), but significantly influences its elemental composition and physical properties. After 60 min of treatment, the relative concentration of chloride counter ions decreased approximately 3 and 4 times for nanostructured and globular form, respectively and concentration of oxygen increased approximately 3 times for both forms. Simultaneously, conductivity decrease (14 times for globular and 2 times for nanostructured one) and changes in zeta potential characteristics of both samples were observed. The modification evolution was dominated by multi-exponential function with time constants having values approximately 1 and 10 min for both samples. It is expected that these time constants are related to two modification processes connected to direct presence of the spark and to long-lived species generated by the plasma.

Role of thermo-physical properties on design and development of thermal plasma devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghorui, S.

2014-01-01

Thermal plasma devices find wide application in variety of technological areas like cutting, welding, spray coating, waste management, material processing, chemical reduction, nano-synthesis, novel material synthesis etc. Highly non-linear behavior of the plasma properties coupled with inherent instabilities, extremely high temperature, high gradients in thermal, and flow field, presence of thermal and chemical non-equilibrium make design and development of the plasma generating devices a challenging task as power levels of the devices increase

Simulations of planar non-thermal plasma assisted ignition at atmospheric pressure

KAUST Repository

Casey, Tiernan A.

2016-10-21

The opportunity for ignition assistance by a pulsed applied voltage is investigated in a canonical one-dimensional configuration. An incipient ignition kernel, formed by localized energy deposition into a lean mixture of methane and air at atmospheric pressure, is subjected to sub-breakdown electric fields (E/N ≈ 100 Td) by a DC potential applied across the domain, resulting in non-thermal behavior of the plasma formed during the discharge. A two-fluid approach is employed to couple thermal neutrals and ions to the non-thermal electrons. A two-temperature plasma mechanism describing gas phase combustion, excitation of neutral species, and high-energy electron kinetics is employed to account for non-thermal effects. Charged species transported from the ignition zone drift rapidly through the domain, augmenting the magnitude of the electric field in the fresh gas during the pulse through a dynamic-electrode effect, which results in an increase in the energy of the electrons in the fresh mixture with increasing time. Enhanced fuel and oxidizer decomposition due to electron impact dissociation and interaction with excited neutrals generate a pool of radicals, mostly O and H, in the fresh gas ahead of the flame\\'s preheat zone. In the configuration considered, the effect of the nanosecond pulse is to increase the mass of fuel burned at equivalent times relative to the unsupported ignition through enhanced radical generation, resulting in an increased heat release rate in the immediate aftermath of the pulse.

Chemically different non-thermal plasmas target distinct cell death pathways

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Lunov, Oleg; Zablotskyy, Vitaliy A.; Churpita, Olexandr; Lunova, M.; Jirsa, M.; Dejneka, Alexandr; Kubinová, Šárka

2017-01-01

Roč. 7, č. 1 (2017), s. 1-17, č. článku 600. ISSN 2045-2322 Grant - others:AV ČR(CZ) Fellowship J. E. Purkyně Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : chemically different * non-thermal plasmas * target distinct cell death pathways Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics OBOR OECD: Biophysics Impact factor: 4.259, year: 2016

Powder processing and spheroidizing with thermal inductively coupled plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nutsch, G.; Linke, P.; Zakharian, S.; Dzur, B.; Weiss, K.-H.

2001-01-01

Processing of advanced powder materials for the spraying industry is one of the most promising applications of the thermal RF inductively coupled plasma. By selecting the feedstock carefully and adjusting the RF plasma parameters, unique materials with high quality can be achieved. Powders injected in the hot plasma core emerge with modified shapes, morphology, crystal structure and chemical composition. Ceramic oxide powders such as Al 2 O 3 , ZrO 2 , SiO 2 are spheroidized with a high spheroidization rate. By using the RF induction plasma spheroidizing process tungsten melt carbide powders are obtained with a high spheroidization rate at high feeding rates by densification of agglomerated powders consisting of di-tungsten carbide and monocarbide with a definite composition. This kind of ball-like powders is particularly suited for wear resistant applications. (author)

Low temperature synthesis of silicon quantum dots with plasma chemistry control in dual frequency non-thermal plasmas.

Science.gov (United States)

Sahu, Bibhuti Bhusan; Yin, Yongyi; Han, Jeon Geon; Shiratani, Masaharu

2016-06-21

The advanced materials process by non-thermal plasmas with a high plasma density allows the synthesis of small-to-big sized Si quantum dots by combining low-temperature deposition with superior crystalline quality in the background of an amorphous hydrogenated silicon nitride matrix. Here, we make quantum dot thin films in a reactive mixture of ammonia/silane/hydrogen utilizing dual-frequency capacitively coupled plasmas with high atomic hydrogen and nitrogen radical densities. Systematic data analysis using different film and plasma characterization tools reveals that the quantum dots with different sizes exhibit size dependent film properties, which are sensitively dependent on plasma characteristics. These films exhibit intense photoluminescence in the visible range with violet to orange colors and with narrow to broad widths (∼0.3-0.9 eV). The observed luminescence behavior can come from the quantum confinement effect, quasi-direct band-to-band recombination, and variation of atomic hydrogen and nitrogen radicals in the film growth network. The high luminescence yields in the visible range of the spectrum and size-tunable low-temperature synthesis with plasma and radical control make these quantum dot films good candidates for light emitting applications.

Nonlinear electron-acoustic rogue waves in electron-beam plasma system with non-thermal hot electrons

Science.gov (United States)

Elwakil, S. A.; El-hanbaly, A. M.; Elgarayh, A.; El-Shewy, E. K.; Kassem, A. I.

2014-11-01

The properties of nonlinear electron-acoustic rogue waves have been investigated in an unmagnetized collisionless four-component plasma system consisting of a cold electron fluid, non-thermal hot electrons obeying a non-thermal distribution, an electron beam and stationary ions. It is found that the basic set of fluid equations is reduced to a nonlinear Schrodinger equation. The dependence of rogue wave profiles on the electron beam and energetic population parameter are discussed. The results of the present investigation may be applicable in auroral zone plasma.

Thermal Plasma decomposition of fluoriated greenhouse gases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, Soo Seok; Watanabe, Takayuki [Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama (Japan); Park, Dong Wha [Inha University, Incheon (Korea, Republic of)

2012-02-15

Fluorinated compounds mainly used in the semiconductor industry are potent greenhouse gases. Recently, thermal plasma gas scrubbers have been gradually replacing conventional burn-wet type gas scrubbers which are based on the combustion of fossil fuels because high conversion efficiency and control of byproduct generation are achievable in chemically reactive high temperature thermal plasma. Chemical equilibrium composition at high temperature and numerical analysis on a complex thermal flow in the thermal plasma decomposition system are used to predict the process of thermal decomposition of fluorinated gas. In order to increase economic feasibility of the thermal plasma decomposition process, increase of thermal efficiency of the plasma torch and enhancement of gas mixing between the thermal plasma jet and waste gas are discussed. In addition, noble thermal plasma systems to be applied in the thermal plasma gas treatment are introduced in the present paper.

Energy and costs scoping study for plasma pyrolysis thermal processing system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sherick, K.E.; Findley, J.E.

1992-01-01

The purpose of this study was to provide information in support of an investigation of thermal technologies as possible treatment process for buried wastes at the INEL. Material and energy balances and a cost estimate were generated for a representative plasma torch-based thermal waste treatment system operating in a pyrolysis mode. Two waste streams were selected which are representative of INEL buried wastes, large in volume, and difficult to treat by other technologies. These streams were a solidified nitrate sludge waste stream and a waste/soil mix of other buried waste components. The treatment scheme selected includes a main plasma chamber operating under pyrolyzing conditions; a plasma afterburner to provide additional residence time at high temperature to ensure complete destruction of hazardous organics; an off-gas treatment system; and a incinerator and stack to oxidize carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide and vent the clean, oxidized gases to atmosphere. The material balances generated provide materials flow and equipment duty information of sufficient accuracy to generate initial rough-order-of-magnitude (ROM) system capital and operating cost estimates for a representative plasma thermal processing system

Monitoring system for thermal plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Romero G, M.; Vilchis P, A.E.

1999-01-01

In the Thermal plasma applications laboratory it has been the degradation project of oils for isolation in transformers. These are a very hazardous residues and at this time in the country they are stored in metal barrels. It has been the intention to undergo the oils to plasma for degradate them to non-hazardous residues. The system behavior must be monitored to establish the thermal plasma behavior. (Author)

The Role of Higher-Order Modes on the Electromagnetic Whistler-Cyclotron Wave Fluctuations of Thermal and Non-Thermal Plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Vinas, Adolfo F.; Moya, Pablo S.; Navarro, Roberto; Araneda, Jamie A.

2014-01-01

Two fundamental challenging problems of laboratory and astrophysical plasmas are the understanding of the relaxation of a collisionless plasmas with nearly isotropic velocity distribution functions and the resultant state of nearly equipartition energy density with electromagnetic plasma turbulence. Here, we present the results of a study which shows the role that higher-order-modes play in limiting the electromagnetic whistler-like fluctuations in a thermal and non-thermal plasma. Our main results show that for a thermal plasma the magnetic fluctuations are confined by regions that are bounded by the least-damped higher order modes. We further show that the zone where the whistler-cyclotron normal modes merges the electromagnetic fluctuations shifts to longer wavelengths as the beta(sub e) increases. This merging zone has been interpreted as the beginning of the region where the whistler-cyclotron waves losses their identity and become heavily damped while merging with the fluctuations. Our results further indicate that in the case of nonthermal plasmas, the higher-order modes do not confine the fluctuations due to the effective higher-temperature effects and the excess of suprathermal plasma particles. The analysis presented here considers the second-order theory of fluctuations and the dispersion relation of weakly transverse fluctuations, with wave vectors parallel to the uniform background magnetic field, in a finite temperature isotropic bi-Maxwellian and Tsallis-kappa-like magnetized electron-proton plasma. Our results indicate that the spontaneously emitted electromagnetic fluctuations are in fact enhanced over these quasi modes suggesting that such modes play an important role in the emission and absorption of electromagnetic fluctuations in thermal or quasi-thermal plasmas.

Thermal plasmas: fundamental aspects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fauchais, P.

2005-01-01

This article treats of thermal plasmas, i.e. mainly produced by electric arcs and RF discharges. Their main characteristic is that they are generated at a pressure close to the atmospheric pressure (between 10 4 and 10 6 Pa) and refer to the classical kinetics of the Boltzmann equation. Because of the pressure, the collisions between particles are numerous and ionization is mainly due to a thermal effect. They correspond to electron densities between 10 20 and 10 24 m -3 and temperatures between 6000 and 25000 K. In these plasmas, the electric fields and the average free trajectories are too weak to generate a ionization state by direct inelastic collision. Ionization is thus essentially a thermal phenomenon due to elastic collisions. This article presents: 1 - the particles present in a plasma: definition, energy states; 2 - characteristic data: collisions, average free path and collision cross-section, distribution function, ionization types, charged particles mobility inside an electric field, scattering, Debye length; 3 - plasmas at the thermodynamical equilibrium: conditions of equilibrium, calculation of composition, thermodynamic properties, transport properties, radiation; 4 - thermal plasmas away from equilibrium: conditions of non-equilibrium, calculation of plasma composition, calculation of transport properties, quenching phenomenon. (J.S.)

Changing the surface properties on naval steel as result of non-thermal plasma treatment

Science.gov (United States)

Hnatiuc, B.; Sabău, A.; Dumitrache, C. L.; Hnatiuc, M.; Crețu, M.; Astanei, D.

2016-08-01

The problem of corrosion, related to Biofouling formation, is an issue with very high importance in the maritime domain. According to new rules, the paints and all the technologies for the conditioning of naval materials must fulfil more restrictive environmental conditions. In order to solve this issue, different new clean technologies have been proposed. Among them, the use of non-thermal plasmas produced at atmospheric pressure plays a very important role. This study concerns the opportunity of plasma treatment for preparation or conditioning of naval steel OL36 type. The plasma reactors chosen for the experiments can operate at atmospheric pressure and are easy to use in industrial conditions. They are based on electrical discharges GlidArc and Spark, which already proved their efficiency for the surface activation or even for coatings of the surface. The non-thermal character of the plasma is ensured by a gas flow blown through the electrical discharges. One power supply has been used for reactors that provide a 5 kV voltage and a maximum current of 100 mA. The modifications of the surface properties and composition have been studied by XPS technique (X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy). There were taken into consideration 5 samples: 4 of them undergoing a Mini-torch plasma, a Gliding Spark, a GlidArc with dry air and a GlidArc with CO2, respectively the fifth sample which is the untreated witness. Before the plasma treatment, samples of naval steel were processed in order to obtain mechanical gloss. The time of treatment was chosen to 12 minutes. In the spectroscopic analysis, done on a ULVAC-PHI, Inc. PHI 5000 Versa Probe scanning XPS microprobe, a monocromated Al Kα X-ray source with a spot size of 100 μm2 was used to scan each sample while the photoelectrons were collected at a 45-degree take-off angle. Differences were found between atomic concentrations in each individual case, which proves that the active species produced by each type of plasma affects

Temperature diagnostics of a non-thermal plasma jet at atmospheric pressure

Science.gov (United States)

Schäfer, Jan

2013-09-01

The study reflects the concept of the temperature as a physical quantity resulting from the second thermodynamic law. The reliability of different approaches of the temperature diagnostics of open non-equilibrium systems is discussed using examples of low temperature atmospheric pressure discharges. The focus of this work is a miniaturized non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma jet for local surface treatment at ambient atmosphere. The micro-discharge is driven with a capacitively coupled radio frequency electric field at 27.12 MHz and fed with argon at rates of about 1 slm through the capillary with an inner diameter of 4 mm. The discharge consists of several contracted filaments with diameter around 300 μm which are rotating azimuthally in the capillary in a self-organized manner. While the measured temperatures of the filament core exceed 700 K, the heat impact on a target below the plasma jet remains limited leading to target temperatures below 400 K. Different kinds of temperatures and energy transport processes are proposed and experimentally investigated. Nevertheless, a reliable and detailed temperature diagnostics is a challenge. We report on a novel diagnostics approach for the spatially and temporally resolved measurement of the gas temperature based on the optical properties of the plasma. Laser Schlieren Deflectometry is adapted to explore temperature profiles of filaments and their behaviour. In parallel, the method demonstrates a fundamental Fermat's principle of minimal energy. Information acquired with this method plays an important role for the optimization of local thin film deposition and surface functionalization by means of the atmospheric pressure plasma jet. The work was supported in part by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft within SFB-TR 24.

Technological challenges in thermal plasma production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramakrishnan, S.

1995-01-01

Thermal plasmas, generated by electric arc discharges, are used in a variety of industrial applications. The electric arc is a constricted electrical discharge with a high temperature in the range 6000-25,000 K. These characteristics are useful in plasma cutting, spraying, welding and specific areas of material processing. The thermal plasma technology is an enabling process technology and its status in the market depends upon its advantages over competing technologies. A few technological challenges to enhance the status of plasma technology are to improve the utilisation of the unique characteristics of the electric arc and to provide enhanced control of the process. In particular, new solutions are required for increasing the plasma-material interaction, controlling the electrode roots and controlling the thermal power generated by the arcing process. In this paper, the advantages of plasma technology, its constraints and future challenges for technology developments are highlighted. 36 refs., 14 figs

A numerical model of non-equilibrium thermal plasmas. I. Transport properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang XiaoNing; Xia WeiDong [Department of Thermal Science and Energy Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui Province 230026 (China); Li HePing [Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Murphy, Anthony B. [CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering, PO Box 218, Lindfield NSW 2070 (Australia)

2013-03-15

A self-consistent and complete numerical model for investigating the fundamental processes in a non-equilibrium thermal plasma system consists of the governing equations and the corresponding physical properties of the plasmas. In this paper, a new kinetic theory of the transport properties of two-temperature (2-T) plasmas, based on the solution of the Boltzmann equation using a modified Chapman-Enskog method, is presented. This work is motivated by the large discrepancies between the theories for the calculation of the transport properties of 2-T plasmas proposed by different authors in previous publications. In the present paper, the coupling between electrons and heavy species is taken into account, but reasonable simplifications are adopted, based on the physical fact that m{sub e}/m{sub h} Much-Less-Than 1, where m{sub e} and m{sub h} are, respectively, the masses of electrons and heavy species. A new set of formulas for the transport coefficients of 2-T plasmas is obtained. The new theory has important physical and practical advantages over previous approaches. In particular, the diffusion coefficients are complete and satisfy the mass conversation law due to the consideration of the coupling between electrons and heavy species. Moreover, this essential requirement is satisfied without increasing the complexity of the transport coefficient formulas. Expressions for the 2-T combined diffusion coefficients are obtained. The expressions for the transport coefficients can be reduced to the corresponding well-established expressions for plasmas in local thermodynamic equilibrium for the case in which the electron and heavy-species temperatures are equal.

A numerical model of non-equilibrium thermal plasmas. I. Transport properties

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiao-Ning; Li, He-Ping; Murphy, Anthony B.; Xia, Wei-Dong

2013-03-01

A self-consistent and complete numerical model for investigating the fundamental processes in a non-equilibrium thermal plasma system consists of the governing equations and the corresponding physical properties of the plasmas. In this paper, a new kinetic theory of the transport properties of two-temperature (2-T) plasmas, based on the solution of the Boltzmann equation using a modified Chapman-Enskog method, is presented. This work is motivated by the large discrepancies between the theories for the calculation of the transport properties of 2-T plasmas proposed by different authors in previous publications. In the present paper, the coupling between electrons and heavy species is taken into account, but reasonable simplifications are adopted, based on the physical fact that me/mh ≪ 1, where me and mh are, respectively, the masses of electrons and heavy species. A new set of formulas for the transport coefficients of 2-T plasmas is obtained. The new theory has important physical and practical advantages over previous approaches. In particular, the diffusion coefficients are complete and satisfy the mass conversation law due to the consideration of the coupling between electrons and heavy species. Moreover, this essential requirement is satisfied without increasing the complexity of the transport coefficient formulas. Expressions for the 2-T combined diffusion coefficients are obtained. The expressions for the transport coefficients can be reduced to the corresponding well-established expressions for plasmas in local thermodynamic equilibrium for the case in which the electron and heavy-species temperatures are equal.

Preliminary degradation process study of infectious biological waste in a 5 k W thermal plasma equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xochihua S M, M.C.

1997-01-01

This work is a preliminary study of infectious biological waste degradation process by thermal plasma and was made in Thermal Plasma Applications Laboratory of Environmental Studies Department of the National Institute of Nuclear Research (ININ). Infectious biological waste degradation process is realized by using samples such polyethylene, cotton, glass, etc., but the present study scope is to analyze polyethylene degradation process with mass and energy balances involved. Degradation method is realized as follow: a polyethylene sample is put in an appropriated crucible localized inside a pyrolysis reactor chamber, the plasma jet is projected to the sample, by the pyrolysis phenomena the sample is degraded into its constitutive particles: carbon and hydrogen. Air was utilized as a recombination gas in order to obtain the higher percent of CO 2 if amount of O 2 is greater in the recombination gas, the CO generation is reduced. The effluent gases of exhaust pyrolysis reactor through are passed through a heat exchanger to get cooled gases, the temperature water used is 15 Centigrade degrees. Finally the gases was tried into absorption tower with water as an absorbent fluid. Thermal plasma degradation process is a very promising technology, but is necessary to develop engineering process area to avail all advantages of thermal plasma. (Author)

Investigation of non thermal effects from the Dα line wings in edge plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marandet, Y.; Godbert-Mouret, L.; Koubiti, M.; Stamm, R.; Capes, H.; Guirlet, R.

2002-01-01

The far wings of intense Dα lines measured at the edge of the Tore Supra Tokamak are found to exhibit a power-law behavior. The characteristic exponent is not far from two. Since the low density rules out thermal Stark broadening, we discuss non thermal effects which may arise from the edge plasma drift-wave turbulence. We suggest that both the Stark and the Doppler profile could be affected by the turbulence

Induction of Immunogenic Cell Death with Non-Thermal Plasma for Cancer Immunotherapy

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Abraham G.

Even with the recent advancements in cancer immunotherapy, treatments are still associated with debilitating side effects and unacceptable fail rates. Induction of immunogenic cell death (ICD) in tumors is a promising approach to cancer treatment that may overcome these deficiencies. Cells undergoing ICD pathways enhance the interactions between cancerous cells and immune cells of the patient, resulting in the generation of anti-cancer immunity. The goal of this therapy relies on the engagement and reestablishment of the patient's natural immune processes to target and eliminate cancerous cells systemically. The main objective of this research was to determine if non-thermal plasma could be used to elicit immunogenic cancer cell death for cancer immunotherapy. My hypothesis was that plasma induces immunogenic cancer cell death through oxidative stress pathways, followed by development of a specific anti-tumor immune response. This was tested by investigating the interactions between plasma and multiple cancerous cells in vitro and validating anti-tumor immune responses in vivo. Following plasma treatment, two surrogate ICD markers, secreted adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and surface exposed calreticulin (ecto-CRT), were emitted from all three cancerous cell lines tested: A549 lung carcinoma cell line, CNE-1 radiation-resistant nasopharyngeal cell line and CT26 colorectal cancer cell line. When these cells were co-cultured with macrophages, cells of the innate immune system, the tumoricidal activity of macrophages was enhanced, thus demonstrating the immunostimulatory activity of cells undergoing ICD. The underlying mechanisms of plasma-induced ICD were also evaluated. When plasma is generated, four major components are produced: electromagnetic fields, ultraviolet radiation, and charged and neutral reactive species. Of these, we determined that plasma-generated charged and short-lived reactive oxygen species (ROS) were the major effectors of ICD. Following plasma

Aerospace Applications of Non-Equilibrium Plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Blankson, Isaiah M.

2016-01-01

Nonequilibrium plasma/non-thermal plasma/cold plasmas are being used in a wide range of new applications in aeronautics, active flow control, heat transfer reduction, plasma-assisted ignition and combustion, noise suppression, and power generation. Industrial applications may be found in pollution control, materials surface treatment, and water purification. In order for these plasma processes to become practical, efficient means of ionization are necessary. A primary challenge for these applications is to create a desired non-equilibrium plasma in air by preventing the discharge from transitioning into an arc. Of particular interest is the impact on simulations and experimental data with and without detailed consideration of non-equilibrium effects, and the consequences of neglecting non-equilibrium. This presentation will provide an assessment of the presence and influence of non-equilibrium phenomena for various aerospace needs and applications. Specific examples to be considered will include the forward energy deposition of laser-induced non-equilibrium plasmoids for sonic boom mitigation, weakly ionized flows obtained from pulsed nanosecond discharges for an annular Hall type MHD generator duct for turbojet energy bypass, and fundamental mechanisms affecting the design and operation of novel plasma-assisted reactive systems in dielectric liquids (water purification, in-pipe modification of fuels, etc.).

Characteristics and Thermal Efficiency of a Non-transferred DC Plasma Spraying Torch Under Low Pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bao Shicong; Ye Minyou; Zhang Xiaodong; Guo Wenkang; Xu Ping

2008-01-01

Current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of a non-transferred DC arc plasma spray torch operated in argon at vacuum are reported. The arc voltage is of negative characteristics for a current below 200 A, flat for a current between 200 A to 250 A and positive for a current beyond 250 A. The voltage increases slowly with the increase in carrier gas of arc. The rate of change in voltage with currents is about 3∼4 V/100 A at a gas flow rate of about 1∼1.5 V/10 standard liter per minute (slpm). The I-V characteristics of the DC plasma torch are of a shape of hyperbola. Arc power increases with the argon flow rate, and the thermal efficiency of the torch acts in a similar way. The thermal efficiency of the non-transferred DC plasmatron is about 65∼78%. (low temperature plasma)

Non-local thermodynamic equilibrium effects on isentropic coefficient in argon and helium thermal plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, Rohit; Singh, Kuldip

2014-01-01

In the present work, two cases of thermal plasma have been considered; the ground state plasma in which all the atoms and ions are assumed to be in the ground state and the excited state plasma in which atoms and ions are distributed over various possible excited states. The variation of Zγ, frozen isentropic coefficient and the isentropic coefficient with degree of ionization and non-equilibrium parameter θ(= T e /T h ) has been investigated for the ground and excited state helium and argon plasmas at pressures 1 atm, 10 atm, and 100 atm in the temperature range from 6000 K to 60 000 K. For a given value of non-equilibrium parameter, the relationship of Zγ with degree of ionization does not show any dependence on electronically excited states in helium plasma whereas in case of argon plasma this dependence is not appreciable till degree of ionization approaches 2. The minima of frozen isentropic coefficient shifts toward lower temperature with increase of non-equilibrium parameter for both the helium and argon plasmas. The lowering of non-equilibrium parameter decreases the frozen isentropic coefficient more emphatically in helium plasma at high pressures in comparison to argon plasma. The increase of pressure slightly reduces the ionization range over which isentropic coefficient almost remains constant and it does not affect appreciably the dependence of isentropic coefficient on non-equilibrium parameter

Synthesis of TiO2 Nanoparticles from Ilmenite Through the Mechanism of Vapor-Phase Reaction Process by Thermal Plasma Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Samal, Sneha

2017-11-01

Synthesis of nanoparticles of TiO2 was carried out by non-transferred arc thermal plasma reactor using ilmenite as the precursor material. The powder ilmenite was vaporized at high temperature in plasma flame and converted to a gaseous state of ions in the metastable phase. On cooling, chamber condensation process takes place on recombination of ions for the formation of nanoparticles. The top-to-bottom approach induces the disintegration of complex ilmenite phases into simpler compounds of iron oxide and titanium dioxide phases. The vapor-phase reaction mechanism was carried out in thermal plasma zone for the synthesis of nanoparticles from ilmenite compound in a plasma reactor. The easy separation of iron particles from TiO2 was taken place in the plasma chamber with deposition of light TiO2 particles at the top of the cooling chamber and iron particles at the bottom. The dissociation and combination process of mechanism and synthesis are studied briefly in this article. The product TiO2 nanoparticle shows the purity with a major phase of rutile content. TiO2 nanoparticles produced in vapor-phase reaction process shows more photo-induced capacity.

Plasma spheroidization of iron powders in a non-transferred DC thermal plasma jet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, S.; Selvarajan, V.

2008-01-01

In this paper, the results of plasma spheroidization of iron powders using a DC non-transferred plasma spray torch are presented. The morphology of the processed powders was characterized through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical microscopy (OM). The percentages of spheroidized powders were calculated by the shape factors such as the Irregularity Parameter (IP) and Roundness (RN). A maximum of 83% of spheroidization can be achieved. The spheroidization results are compared with the theoretical estimation and they are found to be in good agreement. The phase composition of the spheroidized powder was analyzed by XRD. The effect of plasma jet temperature and plasma gas flow rate on spheroidization is discussed. At low plasma gas flow rates and at high plasma jet temperatures, the percentage of spheroidization is high

Monitoring system for thermal plasma; Sistema de monitoreo para plasma termico

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Romero G, M.; Vilchis P, A.E. [Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, A.P. 18-1027, 11801 Mexico D.F. (Mexico)

1999-07-01

In the Thermal plasma applications laboratory it has been the degradation project of oils for isolation in transformers. These are a very hazardous residues and at this time in the country they are stored in metal barrels. It has been the intention to undergo the oils to plasma for degradate them to non-hazardous residues. The system behavior must be monitored to establish the thermal plasma behavior. (Author)

An investigation of non-equilibrium effects in thermal argon plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosado, R.J.

1981-01-01

This thesis deals with the study of the validity of the assumption of Local Thermal Equilibrium (LTE) in the description of the parameters of a thermal argon plasma. The aim is twofold. As the studied plasma is close to, but not completely in equilibrium, the author first attempts to obtain a simple description of the plasma in terms of an LTE model in which suitable corrections for the deviations of the plasma parameters from their LTE values is introduced. To this end the plasma parameters are studied by means of a diagnostic method in which the assumption of LTE is not made. The evaluation of the usefulness of this method is the second aim of this thesis. (Auth.)

Experimental studies on removal of airborne haloanisoles by non-thermal plasma air purifiers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fang, Lei; Hallam, David; Bermúdez, Raúl

2016-01-01

A laboratory study was conducted to test the performance of non-thermal plasma air purifiers on its removal effectiveness of two haloanisoles – 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA) and 2,4,6-Tribromoanisole (TBA). TCA and TBA are the two major compounds found in wine cellars that can contaminate wine to ...

Non-thermal plasma ethanol reforming in bubbles immersed in liquids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levko, Dmitry; Sharma, Ashish; Raja, Laxminarayan L

2017-01-01

Ethanol reforming in non-thermal plasma generated in atmospheric-pressure argon bubbles immersed in liquid ethanol/water solution is studied using a self-consistent multi-species fluid model. The influence of the dielectric constant of the liquid on the plasma dynamics and its effect on the generation of active species is analyzed. Several modes of discharge are obtained for large liquid dielectric constant. In these modes, we obtain either an axial streamer or a combination of two simultaneous streamers propagating along the bubble axis and near the liquid wall. The influence of these modes on the production of active species is also studied. The main reactions responsible for the generation of molecular hydrogen and light hydrocarbon species are analyzed. A possible mechanism of hydrogen generation in liquid phase is discussed. (paper)

Thermal efficiency of a non-transferred thermal plasma cannon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mercado, A.; Cota, G.; Merlo, L.; Pacheco, J.; Pena, R.; Cruz, A.

1997-01-01

This work shows a thermal efficiency research (ν) for a plasma torch in d.c. which was carried out through the realization of an energy balance around the system under consideration. The plasma torch is manufactured in copper with a tungsten incrustations in cathode. The gas used was argon and the gas fluxes were at the rank of 10 and 40 lt/min to the total pressure of 1.2 bar (1.1 atm). With these conditions it was worked with electric currents at the rank of 40 and 180 A. The data were collected through a data acquisition card which was programmed in Windows environment. (Author)

Ignition phase and steady-state structures of a non-thermal air plasma

CERN Document Server

Lu Xin Pei

2003-01-01

An AC-driven, non-thermal, atmospheric pressure air plasma is generated within the gap separating a disc-shaped metal electrode and a water electrode. The ignition phase and the steady-state are studied by a high-speed CCD camera. It is found that the plasma always initiates at the surface of the water electrode. The plasma exhibits different structures depending on the polarity of the water electrode: when the water electrode plays the role of cathode, a relatively wide but visibly dim plasma column is generated. At the maximum driving voltage, the gas temperature is between 800 and 900 K, and the peak current is 67 mA; when the water electrode is anode, the plasma column narrows but increases its light emission. The gas temperature in this case is measured to be in the 1400-1500 K range, and the peak current is 81 mA.

Non-equilibrium in flowing atmospheric plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haas, J.C.M. de.

1986-01-01

This thesis deals with the fundamental aspects of two different plasmas applied in technological processes. The first one is the cesium seeded argon plasma in a closed cycle Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) generator, the second is the thermal argon plasma in a cascade arc with an imposed flow. In Chapter 2 the influence of non-equilibrium on the mass and energy balances of a plasma is worked out. The general theory presented there can be applied to both the plasma in an MHD generator and to the cascade arc with imposed flow. Introductions to these plasmas are given in the Chapters 3 and 6 respectively. These chapters are both followed by two chapters which treat the theoretical and the experimental investigations. The results are summarized in Chapter 9. (Auth.)

Non-thermal Power-Law Distributions in Solar and Space Plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Oka, M.; Battaglia, M.; Birn, J.; Chaston, C. C.; Effenberger, F.; Eriksson, E.; Fletcher, L.; Hatch, S.; Imada, S.; Khotyaintsev, Y. V.; Kuhar, M.; Livadiotis, G.; Miyoshi, Y.; Retino, A.

2017-12-01

Particles are accelerated to very high, non-thermal energies in solar and space plasma environments. While energy spectra of accelerated particles often exhibit a power-law and are characterized by the power-law index δ, it remains unclear how particles are accelerated to high energies and how δ is determined. Here, we review previous observations of the power-law index δ in a variety of different plasma environments with a particular focus on sub-relativistic electrons. It appears that in regions more closely related to magnetic reconnection (such as the "above-the-looptop" solar hard X-ray source and the plasma sheet in Earth's magnetotail), the spectra are typically soft (δ> 4). This is in contrast to the typically hard spectra (δuniform in the plasma sheet, while power-law distributions still exist even in quiet times. The role of magnetotail reconnection in the electron power-law formation could therefore be confounded with these background conditions. Because different regions have been studied with different instrumentations and methodologies, we point out a need for more systematic and coordinated studies of power-law distributions for a better understanding of possible scaling laws in particle acceleration as well as their universality.

Improvement of Polytetrafluoroethylene Surface Energy by Repetitive Pulse Non-Thermal Plasma Treatment in Atmospheric Air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Guoqing; Zhang Guanjun; Zhang Wenyuan

2011-01-01

Improvement of polytetrafluoroethylene surface energy by non-thermal plasma treatment is presented, using a nanosecond-positive-edge repetitive pulsed dielectric barrier discharge generator in atmospheric air. The electrical parameters including discharging power, peak and density of micro-discharge current were calculated, and the electron energy was estimated. Surface treatment experiments of polytetrafluoroethylene films were conducted for both different applied voltages and different treating durations. Results show that the surface energy of polytetrafluoroethylene film could be improved to 40 mJ/m 2 or more by plasma treatment. Surface roughness measurement and surface X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis indicate that there are chemical etching and implantation of polar oxygen groups in the sample surface treating process, resulting in the improvement of the sample surface energy. Compared with an AC source of 50 Hz, the dielectric barrier discharges generated by a repetitive pulsed source could provide higher peak power, lower mean power, larger micro-discharge current density and higher electron energy. Therefore, with the same applied peak voltage and treating duration, the improvement of polytetrafluoroethylene surface energy using repetitive pulsed plasma is more effective, and the plasma treatment process based on repetitive pulsed dielectric barrier discharges in air is thus feasible and applicable.

Artificial vesicles as an animal cell model for the study of biological application of non-thermal plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ki, S H; Park, J K; Sung, C; Lee, C B; Uhm, H; Choi, E H; Baik, K Y

2016-01-01

Artificial cell-like model systems can provide information which is hard to obtain with real biological cells. Giant unilamellar vesicles (GUV) containing intra-membrane DNA or OH radical-binding molecules are used to visualize the cytolytic activity of OH radicals. Changes in the GUV membrane are observed by microscopy or flow cytometry as performed for animal cells after non-thermal plasma treatment. The experimental data shows that OH radicals can be detected inside the membrane, although the biological effects are not as significant as for H 2 O 2 . This artificial model system can provide a systemic means to elucidate the complex interactions between biological materials and non-thermal plasma. (paper)

Cell death induced on cell cultures and nude mouse skin by non-thermal, nanosecond-pulsed generated plasma.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arnaud Duval

Full Text Available Non-thermal plasmas are gaseous mixtures of molecules, radicals, and excited species with a small proportion of ions and energetic electrons. Non-thermal plasmas can be generated with any high electro-magnetic field. We studied here the pathological effects, and in particular cell death, induced by nanosecond-pulsed high voltage generated plasmas homogeneously applied on cell cultures and nude mouse skin. In vitro, Jurkat cells and HMEC exhibited apoptosis and necrosis, in dose-dependent manner. In vivo, on nude mouse skin, cell death occurred for doses above 113 J/cm(2 for the epidermis, 281 J/cm(2 for the dermis, and 394 J/cm(2 for the hypodermis. Using electron microscopy, we characterized apoptosis for low doses and necrosis for high doses. We demonstrated that these effects were not related to thermal, photonic or pH variations, and were due to the production of free radicals. The ability of cold plasmas to generate apoptosis on cells in suspension and, without any sensitizer, on precise skin areas, opens new fields of application in dermatology for extracorporeal blood cell treatment and the eradication of superficial skin lesions.

HNS steelmaking process using thermal plasma in a ceramic crucible

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siwka, J.; Svyazhin, A.G.; Jowsa, J.; Derda, W.

1999-01-01

The problems related to HNS (high nitrogen steels) steelmaking technology in a laboratory plasma furnace (100 kW DC, 25 kg liquid metal) are discussed in the paper. Results of investigations on mass transfer in the bath, modelling of the temperature fields by the FEM method, the dynamics of nitriding and refining of the liquid metal are presented. The results show many advantageous features of this technology and identify the necessary modifications. Realization of the one-stage production process of HNS is possible using thermal plasma. This means that any kind of metallic scrap can be used with simultaneous nitriding of liquid metal by nitrogen gas phase and its refining. A technological scheme of the discussed process is presented. (orig.)

Analysis of the step responses of laminar premixed flames to forcing by non-thermal plasma

KAUST Repository

Lacoste, Deanna; Moeck, Jonas P.; Roberts, William L.; Chung, Suk-Ho; Cha, Min

2016-01-01

The step responses of lean methane-air flames to non-thermal plasma forcing is reported. The experimental setup consists of an axisymmetric burner, with a nozzle made of a quartz tube. The equivalence ratio is 0.95, allowing stabilization

Development of non-thermal plasma jet and its potential application for color degradation of organic pollutant in wastewater treatment

Science.gov (United States)

Pirdo Kasih, Tota; Kharisma, Angel; Perdana, Muhammad Kevin; Murphiyanto, Richard Dimas Julian

2017-12-01

This paper presents the development of non-thermal plasma-based AOPs for color degradation in wastewater treatment. The plasma itself was generated by an in-house high voltage power supply (HVPS). Instead of gas-phase plasma system, we applied plasma jet system underwater during wastewater treatment without additional any chemicals (chemical-free processing). The method is thought to maximize the energy transfer and increase the efficient interaction between plasma and solution during the process. Our plasma jet system could proceed either by using helium (He), argon (Ar) and air as the medium in an open air atmosphere. Exploring the developed plasma to be applied in organic wastewater treatment, we demonstrated that the plasma jet could be generated underwater and yields in color degradation of methylene blue (MB) wastewater model. When using Ar gas as a medium, the color degradation of MB could be achieved within 90 minutes. Whereas, by using Ar with an admixing of oxygen (O2) gas, the similar result could be accomplished within 60 minutes. Additional O2 gas in the latter might produce more hydroxyl radicals and oxygen-based species which speed up the oxidative reaction with organic pollutants, and hence accelerate the process of color degradation.

Thermal plasma waste treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heberlein, Joachim; Murphy, Anthony B

2008-01-01

Plasma waste treatment has over the past decade become a more prominent technology because of the increasing problems with waste disposal and because of the realization of opportunities to generate valuable co-products. Plasma vitrification of hazardous slags has been a commercial technology for several years, and volume reduction of hazardous wastes using plasma processes is increasingly being used. Plasma gasification of wastes with low negative values has attracted interest as a source of energy and spawned process developments for treatment of even municipal solid wastes. Numerous technologies and approaches exist for plasma treatment of wastes. This review summarizes the approaches that have been developed, presents some of the basic physical principles, provides details of some specific processes and considers the advantages and disadvantages of thermal plasmas in waste treatment applications. (topical review)

The interplay between biological and physical scenarios of bacterial death induced by non-thermal plasma

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Lunov, O.; Zablotskyy, V.; Churpita, O.; Jäger, A.; Polívka, L.; Syková, Eva; Dejneka, A.; Kubinová, Šárka

2016-01-01

Roč. 82, mar. (2016), s. 71-83 ISSN 0142-9612 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LO1309 Institutional support: RVO:68378041 Keywords : non-thermal plasma * bacteria * cytotoxicity Subject RIV: FP - Other Medical Disciplines Impact factor: 8.402, year: 2016

Analysis of the biological effects of a non-thermal plasma on saccharomyces cerevisiae

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Gyung S.; Baik, Ku Y.; Kim, Jung G.; Kim, Yun J.; Lee, Kyung A.; Jung, Ran J.; Cho, Guang S.

2012-01-01

The cellular and the molecular responses of eukaryotic yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) to a non-thermal plasma at atmospheric pressure are analyzed. A plasma device with a dielectric barrier discharge is used in order to understand the mechanisms of the plasma action on eukaryotic microbes. When the yeast cells are exposed to a plasma (at a 2-mm distance) and then cultured on a YPD (yeast extract, peptone, and dextrose) - agar plate, the number of surviving cells is reduced over exposure time. More than a 50% reduction in number is observed after two exposures of 5 minutes' duration. In addition, very small whitish colonies appear after the two exposures. The microscopic analysis indicates that the yeast cells treated with this plasma exposure have rough and shrunken shapes in comparison to the oval shapes with smooth surfaces of the control cells. The profile of proteins analyzed by using 2-dimentional electrophoresis demonstrates that the level of proteins with high molecular weights is increased in plasma-treated cells.

Improved oxidation of air pollutants in a non-thermal plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roland, U.; Holzer, F.; Kopinke, F.-D.

2002-01-01

The performance of non-thermal plasma (NTP) for the removal of organic air pollutants (especially in low concentrations) is improved by the introduction of ferroelectric and catalytically active materials into the discharge zone of an NTP reactor. Experiments with model systems (various contaminants and packed-bed materials) have shown that such a modification of a homogeneous gas-phase plasma can overcome the most serious restrictions of the NTP technique at its present state of the art: the incomplete total oxidation (i.e. the low selectivity to CO 2 ) and the energetic inefficiency. Placing a ferroelectric packed-bed material in the discharge zone was shown to result in a lowering of the energy input required. The main effects of plasma catalysis enabled by the introduction of a catalytically active material were an enhanced conversion of pollutants and a higher CO 2 selectivity. These improvements are based on the presence of short-lived oxidising species in the inner volume of porous catalysts. Additionally, the formation of a reservoir of adsorbed oxidants in the NTP zone could be shown. The combination of both modifications (ferroelectric packed-bed materials and plasma catalysis) is a promising method to support the NTP-initiated oxidation of air pollutants

Dentin surface treatment using a non-thermal argon plasma brush for interfacial bonding improvement in composite restoration

Science.gov (United States)

Ritts, Andy Charles; Li, Hao; Yu, Qingsong; Xu, Changqi; Yao, Xiaomei; Hong, Liang; Wang, Yong

2010-01-01

The objective of this study is to investigate the treatment effects of non-thermal atmospheric gas plasmas on dentin surfaces for composite restoration. Extracted unerupted human third molars were used by removing the crowns and etching the exposed dentin surfaces with 35% phosphoric acid gel. The dentin surfaces were treated by using a non-thermal atmospheric argon plasma brush for various durations. The molecular changes of the dentin surfaces were analyzed using FTIR/ATR and an increase in carbonyl groups on dentin surfaces was detected with plasma treated dentin. Adper Single Bond Plus adhesive and Filtek Z250 dental composite were applied as directed. To evaluate the dentin/composite interfacial bonding, the teeth thus prepared were sectioned into micro-bars as the specimens for tensile test. Student Newman Keuls tests showed that the bonding strength of the composite restoration to peripheral dentin was significantly increased (by 64%) after 30 s plasma treatment. However, the bonding strength to plasma treated inner dentin did not show any improvement. It was found that plasma treatment of peripheral dentin surface up to 100 s gave an increase in interfacial bonding strength, while a prolong plasma treatment of dentin surfaces, e.g., 5 min treatments, showed a decrease in interfacial bonding strength. PMID:20831586

Understanding plasma spraying process and characteristics of DC-arc plasma gun (PJ-100

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jovana Ružić

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The thermal spray processes are a group of coating processes used to apply metallic or non-metallic coatings. In these processes energy sources are used to heat the coating material (in the form of powder, wire, or rod form to a molten or semi-molten state and accelerated towards a prepared surface by either carrier gases or atomization jets. In plasma spraying process, the spraying material is generally in the form of powder and requires a carrier gas to feed the powder into the plasma jet, which is passing between the hot cathode and the cylindrical nozzle-shaped anode. The design of DC plasma gun (PJ - 100 is designed and manufactured in Serbia. Plasma spaying process, the powder injection with the heat, momentum and mass transfers between particles and plasma jet, and the latest developments related to the production of DC plasma gun are described in this article.

The thermalization of soft modes in non-expanding isotropic quark gluon plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blaizot, Jean-Paul, E-mail: jean-paul.blaizot@cea.fr [Institut de Physique Théorique, CNRS/UMR 3681, CEA Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Liao, Jinfeng [Physics Department and Center for Exploration of Energy and Matter, Indiana University, 2401 N Milo B. Sampson Lane, Bloomington, IN 47408 (United States); RIKEN BNL Research Center, Bldg. 510A, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973 (United States); Mehtar-Tani, Yacine [Institute for Nuclear Theory, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-1550 (United States)

2017-05-15

We discuss the role of elastic and inelastic collisions and their interplay in the thermalization of the quark–gluon plasma. We consider a simplified situation of a static plasma, spatially uniform and isotropic in momentum space. We focus on the small momentum region, which equilibrates first, and on a short time scale. We obtain a simple kinetic equation that allows for an analytic description of the most important regimes. The present analysis suggests that the formation of a Bose condensate, expected when only elastic collisions are present, is strongly hindered by the inelastic, radiative, processes.

Observation of non-chemical equilibrium effect on Ar-CO2-H2 thermal plasma model by changing pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Mamun, Sharif Abdullah; Tanaka, Yasunori; Uesugi, Yoshihiko

2009-01-01

The authors developed a two-dimensional one-temperature chemical non-equilibrium (1T-NCE) model of Ar-CO 2 -H 2 inductively coupled thermal plasmas (ICTP) to investigate the effect of pressure variation. The basic concept of one-temperature model is the assumption and treatment of the same energy conservation equation for electrons and heavy particles. The energy conservation equations consider reaction heat effects and energy transfer among the species produced as well as enthalpy flow resulting from diffusion. Assuming twenty two (22) different particles in this model and by solving mass conservation equations for each particle, considering diffusion, convection and net production terms resulting from hundred and ninety eight (198) chemical reactions, chemical non-equilibrium effects were taken into account. Transport and thermodynamic properties of Ar-CO 2 -H 2 thermal plasmas were self-consistently calculated using the first-order approximation of the Chapman-Enskog method. Finally results obtained at atmospheric pressure (760 Torr) and at reduced pressure (500, 300 Torr) were compared with results from one-temperature chemical equilibrium (1T-CE) model. And of course, this comparison supported discussion of chemical non-equilibrium effects in the inductively coupled thermal plasmas (ICTP).

Measurement of the non-thermal properties in a low-pressure spraying plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Yong Ho; Chung, Kyu Sun

2002-01-01

The non-thermal properties of a low-pressure spraying plasma have been characterized by using optical emission spectroscopy and single probes installed in a fast scanning probe system. A two-temperature model of the electrons is introduced to explain their non-isothermal properties, which are measured using single probes. The excitation temperatures of the atomic and the ionic lines are calculated from measurements of the emission intensities of Ar (I) and Ar (II), and those temperatures can be explained by using a local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) or a non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (non-LTE) model. In order to deduce more reasonable values (excitation temperatures), we introduce a multi-thermodynamic equilibrium (MTE) model, which gives different temperatures, depending upon the atomic excitation states

Thermal Plasma Synthesis of Crystalline Gallium Nitride Nanopowder from Gallium Nitrate Hydrate and Melamine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tae-Hee Kim

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Gallium nitride (GaN nanopowder used as a blue fluorescent material was synthesized by using a direct current (DC non-transferred arc plasma. Gallium nitrate hydrate (Ga(NO33∙xH2O was used as a raw material and NH3 gas was used as a nitridation source. Additionally, melamine (C3H6N6 powder was injected into the plasma flame to prevent the oxidation of gallium to gallium oxide (Ga2O3. Argon thermal plasma was applied to synthesize GaN nanopowder. The synthesized GaN nanopowder by thermal plasma has low crystallinity and purity. It was improved to relatively high crystallinity and purity by annealing. The crystallinity is enhanced by the thermal treatment and the purity was increased by the elimination of residual C3H6N6. The combined process of thermal plasma and annealing was appropriate for synthesizing crystalline GaN nanopowder. The annealing process after the plasma synthesis of GaN nanopowder eliminated residual contamination and enhanced the crystallinity of GaN nanopowder. As a result, crystalline GaN nanopowder which has an average particle size of 30 nm was synthesized by the combination of thermal plasma treatment and annealing.

Experimental studies of thermal and non-thermal electron cyclotron phenomena in tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDermott, F.S.

1984-12-01

A direct measurement of wave absorption in the ISX-B tokamak at the second harmonic of the electron cyclotron frequency is reported. Measurements of the absorption of a wave polarized in the extraordinary mode and propagating perpendicular to the toroidal magnetic field are in agreement with the absorption predicted by the linearized Vlasov equation for a thermal plasma. Agreement is found both for an analytic approximation to the wave absorption and for a numerical simulation of ray propagation in toroidal geometry. Observations are also reported on a non-linear, three-wave interaction process occurring during high power electron cyclotron resonance heating in the Versator II tokamak. The measured spectra and the threshold power are consistent with a model in which the incident power in the extraordinary mode of polarization decays at the upper hybrid resonance layer into a lower hybrid wave and an electron Bernstein wave. Finally, measurements of non-thermal emission at the second harmonic of the electron cyclotron frequency and below the electron plasma frequency are reported from low density, non-Maxwellian plasma in the Versator II tokamak. The emission spectra are in agreement with a model in which waves are driven unstable at the anomalous Doppler resonance, while only weakly damped at the Cerenkov resonance

Numerical study of melted particles crush metallic substrates and the interaction between particles and a plasma beam in the thermal projection process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kriba, Ilhem; Djebaili, A.

2009-01-01

Plasma spray processes have been widely used to produce high performance coatings of a wide range of materials (metallic, non-metallic, and ceramics), offering protection from, e.g. wear, extreme temperature, chemical attack and environmental corrosion. To obtain good quality coatings, spray parameters must be carefully selected. Due to the large variety in process parameters, it is difficult to optimize the process for each specific coating and substrate combinations. Furthermore modelling the spray process allows a better understanding of the process sequences during thermal spraying. The simulation of coating formation to estimate the process parameters is an important tool to develop new coating structures with defined properties. In this work, the process of plasma sprayed coating has been analyzed by numerical simulation. Commercial code is used to predict the plasma jet characteristics, plasma-particle interaction, and coating formation. Using this model we can obtain coating microstructure and characteristics which form a foundation for further improvement of an advanced ceramic coating build up model

Development of Scaling Algorithms and Economic Evaluation for Non-Thermal Plasma Reactors - Adsorbant/Catalyzer Hybrid System for Control of NOx Released During Army and Related U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Operations

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Urashima, K

1998-01-01

Computer code (SUENTP-J) to predict scale-up and economic evaluation of several eligible non-thermal plasma processes for air pollution control - electron beam process, pulsed corona process, and corona radical shower...

On thermalization of electron-positron-photon plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Siutsou, I. A., E-mail: siutsou@icranet.org [CAPES–ICRANet program, ICRANet–Rio, CBPF 22290-180, Rua Dr. Xavier Sigaud, 150, Urca, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Aksenov, A. G. [Institute for Computer-Aided Design, Russian Academy of Sciences 123056, 2nd Brestskaya st., 19/18, Moscow (Russian Federation); Vereshchagin, G. V. [ICRANet 65122, p.le della Republica, 10, Pescara (Italy)

2015-12-17

Recently a progress has been made in understanding thermalization mechanism of relativistic plasma starting from a non-equilibrium state. Relativistic Boltzmann equations were solved numerically for homogeneous isotropic plasma with collision integrals for two- and three-particle interactions calculated from the first principles by means of QED matrix elements. All particles were assumed to fulfill Boltzmann statistics. In this work we follow plasma thermalization by accounting for Bose enhancement and Pauli blocking in particle interactions. Our results show that particle in equilibrium reach Bose-Einstein distribution for photons, and Fermi-Dirac one for electrons, respectively.

On thermalization of electron-positron-photon plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Siutsou, I. A.; Aksenov, A. G.; Vereshchagin, G. V.

2015-12-01

Recently a progress has been made in understanding thermalization mechanism of relativistic plasma starting from a non-equilibrium state. Relativistic Boltzmann equations were solved numerically for homogeneous isotropic plasma with collision integrals for two- and three-particle interactions calculated from the first principles by means of QED matrix elements. All particles were assumed to fulfill Boltzmann statistics. In this work we follow plasma thermalization by accounting for Bose enhancement and Pauli blocking in particle interactions. Our results show that particle in equilibrium reach Bose-Einstein distribution for photons, and Fermi-Dirac one for electrons, respectively.

Understanding the growth of micro and nano-crystalline AlN by thermal plasma process

Science.gov (United States)

Kanhe, Nilesh S.; Nawale, Ashok B.; Gawade, Rupesh L.; Puranik, Vedavati G.; Bhoraskar, Sudha V.; Das, Asoka K.; Mathe, Vikas L.

2012-01-01

We report the studies related to the growth of crystalline AlN in a DC thermal plasma reactor, operated by a transferred arc plasma torch. The reactor is capable of producing the nanoparticles of Al and AlN depending on the composition of the reacting gas. Al and AlN micro crystals are formed at the anode placed on the graphite and nano crystalline Al and AlN gets deposited on the inner surface of the plasma reactor. X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy analysis, single crystal X-ray diffraction and TGA-DTA techniques are used to infer the purity of post process crystals as a hexagonal AlN. The average particle size using SEM was found to be around 30 μm. The morphology of nanoparticles of Al and AlN, nucleated by gas phase condensation in a homogeneous medium were studied by transmission electron microscopy analysis. The particle ranged in size between 15 and 80 nm in diameter. The possible growth mechanism of crystalline AlN at the anode has been explained on the basis of non-equilibrium processes in the core of the plasma and steep temperature gradient near its periphery. The gas phase species of AlN and various constituent were computed using Murphy code based on minimization of free energy. The process provides 50% yield of microcrystalline AlN and remaining of Al at anode and that of nanocrystalline h-AlN and c-Al collected from the walls of the chamber is about 33% and 67%, respectively.

Saturated Resin Ectopic Regeneration by Non-Thermal Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chunjing Hao

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Textile dyes are some of the most refractory organic compounds in the environment due to their complex and various structure. An integrated resin adsorption/Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD plasma regeneration was proposed to treat the indigo carmine solution. It is the first time to report ectopic regeneration of the saturated resins by non-thermal Dielectric Barrier Discharge. The adsorption/desorption efficiency, surface functional groups, structural properties, regeneration efficiency, and the intermediate products between gas and liquid phase before and after treatment were investigated. The results showed that DBD plasma could maintain the efficient adsorption performance of resins while degrading the indigo carmine adsorbed by resins. The degradation rate of indigo carmine reached 88% and the regeneration efficiency (RE can be maintained above 85% after multi-successive regeneration cycles. The indigo carmine contaminants were decomposed by a variety of reactive radicals leading to fracture of exocyclic C=C bond, which could cause decoloration of dye solution. Based on above results, a possible degradation pathway for the indigo carmine by resin adsorption/DBD plasma treatment was proposed.

Non-thermal plasma treatment diminishes fungal viability and up-regulates resistance genes in a plant host.

Science.gov (United States)

Panngom, Kamonporn; Lee, Sang Hark; Park, Dae Hoon; Sim, Geon Bo; Kim, Yong Hee; Uhm, Han Sup; Park, Gyungsoon; Choi, Eun Ha

2014-01-01

Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species can have either harmful or beneficial effects on biological systems depending on the dose administered and the species of organism exposed, suggesting that application of reactive species can possibly produce contradictory effects in disease control, pathogen inactivation and activation of host resistance. A novel technology known as atmospheric-pressure non-thermal plasma represents a means of generating various reactive species that adversely affect pathogens (inactivation) while simultaneously up-regulating host defense genes. The anti-microbial efficacy of this technology was tested on the plant fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici and its susceptible host plant species Solanum lycopercicum. Germination of fungal spores suspended in saline was decreased over time after exposed to argon (Ar) plasma for 10 min. Although the majority of treated spores exhibited necrotic death, apoptosis was also observed along with the up-regulation of apoptosis related genes. Increases in the levels of peroxynitrite and nitrite in saline following plasma treatment may have been responsible for the observed spore death. In addition, increased transcription of pathogenesis related (PR) genes was observed in the roots of the susceptible tomato cultivar (S. lycopercicum) after exposure to the same Ar plasma dose used in fungal inactivation. These data suggest that atmospheric-pressure non-thermal plasma can be efficiently used to control plant fungal diseases by inactivating fungal pathogens and up-regulating mechanisms of host resistance.

Mechanism and comparison of needle-type non-thermal direct and indirect atmospheric pressure plasma jets on the degradation of dyes

Science.gov (United States)

Attri, Pankaj; Yusupov, Maksudbek; Park, Ji Hoon; Lingamdinne, Lakshmi Prasanna; Koduru, Janardhan Reddy; Shiratani, Masaharu; Choi, Eun Ha; Bogaerts, Annemie

2016-10-01

Purified water supply for human use, agriculture and industry is the major global priority nowadays. The advanced oxidation process based on atmospheric pressure non-thermal plasma (NTP) has been used for purification of wastewater, although the underlying mechanisms of degradation of organic pollutants are still unknown. In this study we employ two needle-type atmospheric pressure non-thermal plasma jets, i.e., indirect (ID-APPJ) and direct (D-APPJ) jets operating at Ar feed gas, for the treatment of methylene blue, methyl orange and congo red dyes, for two different times (i.e., 20 min and 30 min). Specifically, we study the decolorization/degradation of all three dyes using the above mentioned plasma sources, by means of UV-Vis spectroscopy, HPLC and a density meter. We also employ mass spectroscopy to verify whether only decolorization or also degradation takes place after treatment of the dyes by the NTP jets. Additionally, we analyze the interaction of OH radicals with all three dyes using reactive molecular dynamics simulations, based on the density functional-tight binding method. This investigation represents the first report on the degradation of these three different dyes by two types of NTP setups, analyzed by various methods, and based on both experimental and computational studies.

Sintering Behavior of Spark Plasma Sintered SiC with Si-SiC Composite Nanoparticles Prepared by Thermal DC Plasma Process

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Yeon-Tae; Naik, Gautam Kumar; Lim, Young-Bin; Yoon, Jeong-Mo

2017-11-01

The Si-coated SiC (Si-SiC) composite nanoparticle was prepared by non-transferred arc thermal plasma processing of solid-state synthesized SiC powder and was used as a sintering additive for SiC ceramic formation. Sintered SiC pellet was prepared by spark plasma sintering (SPS) process, and the effect of nano-sized Si-SiC composite particles on the sintering behavior of micron-sized SiC powder was investigated. The mixing ratio of Si-SiC composite nanoparticle to micron-sized SiC was optimized to 10 wt%. Vicker's hardness and relative density was increased with increasing sintering temperature and holding time. The relative density and Vicker's hardness was further increased by reaction bonding using additional activated carbon to the mixture of micron-sized SiC and nano-sized Si-SiC. The maximum relative density (97.1%) and Vicker's hardness (31.4 GPa) were recorded at 1800 °C sintering temperature for 1 min holding time, when 0.2 wt% additional activated carbon was added to the mixture of SiC/Si-SiC.

Non-hydrodynamic model of plasma focus structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Imshennik, V.S.; Zueva, N.M.; Lokutsievskij, O.V.; Mikhajlova, M.S.

1985-01-01

Experimental and theoretical plasma focus study has resulted in the necessity of creating a non-hydrodynamic plasma focus structure model (MKHD model). This model describes the final stage of plasma focus, which starts immediately after maximum plasma compression. It is related to a very limited space near the neck of the sausage instability. The MKHD model is two-dimensional, axially symmetric and collisionless with respect to the ions and magnetohydrodynamic with respect to the electrons; it accounts for the pinch instability of the sausage type (m=0 mode). The MKHD model, first of all, explains the long time of the plasma focus existence and non-thermonuclear peculiarities in the neutron yield. The initial and boundary conditions are formulated in accordance with the experiments and the results of computations in the 2D MHD model. A non-stationary process of plasma focus dynamics is studied numerically for a relatively long time - about 20 ns; this time is, in principle, not restricted. The computations show that the external edge of the neck expands rather slowly (at a speed that is lower than the thermal ion velocity, by an order of magnitude), and the magnetic field energy is converted to the kinetic energy of the chaotic ion motion (which is doubled for the time of computation). A 'supra-thermal' tail (with the deuterium ion energy higher than 10 keV) forms slowly at the ion distribution function; this tail determines a substantial part of the total neutron yield. The formation of stable vortices, which actually determine the structure of the plasma flow during the developed non-hydrodynamic stage of the plasma focus, is also found in the computations. These properties of the development of the sausage instability, as found in the numerical experiment with the MKHD plasma focus model, are in qualitative agreement with the behaviour of an instability of the same type in the MHD models of the Z-pinch

Cell death induced by ozone and various non-thermal plasmas: therapeutic perspectives and limitations

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Lunov, Oleg; Zablotskyy, Vitaliy A.; Churpita, Olexandr; Chánová, Eliška; Syková, Eva; Dejneka, Alexandr; Kubinová, Šárka

2014-01-01

Roč. 4, NOV (2014), "7129-1"-"7129-11" ISSN 2045-2322 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LO1309 Grant - others:AV ČR(CZ) M100101219 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 ; RVO:61389013 ; RVO:68378041 Keywords : cell death * non-thermal plasma * therapeutic perspectives Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics; FH - Neurology (UEM-P); CD - Macromolecular Chemistry (UMCH-V) Impact factor: 5.578, year: 2014

Deviations from thermal equilibrium in plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burm, K.T.A.L.

2004-01-01

A plasma system in local thermal equilibrium can usually be described with only two parameters. To describe deviations from equilibrium two extra parameters are needed. However, it will be shown that deviations from temperature equilibrium and deviations from Saha equilibrium depend on one another. As a result, non-equilibrium plasmas can be described with three parameters. This reduction in parameter space will ease the plasma describing effort enormously

Thermal instability in a stratified plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hermanns, D.F.M.; Priest, E.R.

1989-01-01

The thermal instability mechansism has been studied in connection to observed coronal features, like, e.g. prominences or cool cores in loops. Although these features show a lot of structure, most studies concern the thermal instability in an uniform medium. In this paper, we investigate the thermal instability and the interaction between thermal modes and the slow magneto-acoustic subspectrum for a stratified plasma slab. We fomulate the relevant system of equations and give some straightforward properties of the linear spectrum of a non-uniform plasma slab, i.e. the existence of continuous parts in the spectrum. We present a numerical scheme with which we can investigate the linear spectrum for equilibrium states with stratification. The slow and thermal subspectra of a crude coronal model are given as a preliminary result. (author). 6 refs.; 1 fig

A universal mirror wave-mode threshold condition for non-thermal space plasma environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. P. Leubner

2002-01-01

Full Text Available Magnetic fluctuations are recognized in a large variety of space plasmas by increasingly high resolution, in situ observations as mirror wave mode structures. A typical requirement for the excitation of mirror modes is a dominant perpendicular pressure in a high-beta plasma environment. Contrary, we demonstrate from a realistic kinetic analysis how details of the velocity space distributions are of considerable significance for the instability threshold. Introducing the most common characteristics of observed ion and electron distributions by a mixed suprathermal-loss-cone, we derive a universal mirror instability criterion from an energy principle for collisionless plasmas. As a result, the transition from two temperature Maxwellians to realistic non-thermal features provides a strong source for the generation of mirror wave mode activity, reducing drastically the instability threshold. In particular, a number of space-related examples illuminate how the specific structure of the velocity space distribution dominates as a regulating excitation mechanism over the effects related to changes in the plasma parameters.

Performance evaluation of non-thermal plasma injection for elemental mercury oxidation in a simulated flue gas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

An, Jiutao; Shang, Kefeng; Lu, Na [Institute of Electrostatics and Special Power, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China); Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Ministry of Education of the People' s Republic of China, Dalian 116024 (China); Jiang, Yuze [Shandong Electric Power Research Institute, Jinan 250002 (China); Wang, Tiecheng [Institute of Electrostatics and Special Power, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China); Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Ministry of Education of the People' s Republic of China, Dalian 116024 (China); Li, Jie, E-mail: lijie@dlut.edu.cn [Institute of Electrostatics and Special Power, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China); Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Ministry of Education of the People' s Republic of China, Dalian 116024 (China); Wu, Yan [Institute of Electrostatics and Special Power, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024 (China); Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Ministry of Education of the People' s Republic of China, Dalian 116024 (China)

2014-03-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • The use of non-thermal plasma injection approach to oxidize Hg{sup 0} in simulated flue gas at 110 °C was studied. • A high Hg{sup 0} oxidation efficiency was observed in the mixed flue gas that included O{sub 2}, H{sub 2}O, SO{sub 2}, NO and HCl. • Chemical and physical processes (e.g., ozone, N{sub 2} metastable states and UV-light) contributed to Hg{sup 0} oxidation. • Mercury species mainly existed in the form of HgO(s) adhering to the suspended aerosols in the gas-phase. - Abstract: The use of non-thermal plasma (NTP) injection approach to oxidize elemental mercury (Hg{sup 0}) in simulated flue gas at 110 °C was studied, where a surface discharge plasma reactor (SDPR) inserted in the simulated flue duct was used to generate and inject active species into the flue gas. Approximately 81% of the Hg{sup 0} was oxidized and 20.5 μg kJ{sup −1} of energy yield was obtained at a rate of 3.9 J L{sup −1}. A maximal Hg{sup 0} oxidation efficiency was found with a change in the NTP injection air flow rate. A high Hg{sup 0} oxidation efficiency was observed in the mixed flue gas that included O{sub 2}, H{sub 2}O, SO{sub 2}, NO and HCl. Chemical and physical processes (e.g., ozone, N{sub 2} metastable states and UV-light) were found to contribute to Hg{sup 0} oxidation, with ozone playing a dominant role. The deposited mercury species on the internal surface of the flue duct was analyzed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and electronic probe microanalysis (EPMA), and the deposit was identified as HgO. The mercury species is thought to primarily exist in the form of HgO(s) by adhering to the suspended aerosols in the gas-phase.

Functionalization of polymer surfaces by medium frequency non-thermal plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Felix, T.; Trigueiro, J. S.; Bundaleski, N.; Teodoro, O. M. N. D.; Sério, S.; Debacher, N. A.

2018-01-01

This work addresses the surface modification of different polymers by argon dielectric barrier discharge, using bromoform vapours. Atomic Force Microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy showed that plasma etching occurs in stages and may be related to the reach of the species generated and obviously the gap between the electrodes. In addition, the stages of flatten surface or homogeneity may be the result of the transient crosslinking promoted by the intense UV radiation generated by the non- thermal plasma. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy analysis showed that bromine was inserted on the polymer surface as Csbnd Br bonds and as adsorbed HBr. The obtained results demonstrate that the highest degree of bromofunctionalization was achieved on polypropylene surface, which contains about 8,5% of Br. After its derivatization in ammonia, Br disappeared and about 6% of nitrogen in the form of amine group was incorporated at the surface. This result can be considered as a clear fingerprint of the Br substitution by the amine group, thus illustrating the efficiency of the proposed method for functionalization of polymer surfaces.

Pyrite-enhanced methylene blue degradation in non-thermal plasma water treatment reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Benetoli, Luis Otavio de Brito, E-mail: luskywalcker@yahoo.com.br [Departamento de Quimica, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianopolis, SC (Brazil); Cadorin, Bruno Mena; Baldissarelli, Vanessa Zanon [Departamento de Quimica, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianopolis, SC (Brazil); Geremias, Reginaldo [Departamento de Ciencias Rurais, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Curitibanos, SC (Brazil); Goncalvez de Souza, Ivan [Departamento de Quimica, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianopolis, SC (Brazil); Debacher, Nito Angelo, E-mail: debacher@qmc.ufsc.br [Departamento de Quimica, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianopolis, SC (Brazil)

2012-10-30

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We use O{sub 2} as the feed gas and pyrite was added to the non-thermal plasma reactor. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The methylene blue removal by NTP increased in the presence of pyrite. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The total organic carbon content decreased substantially. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The acute toxicity test showed that the treated solution is not toxic. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The dye degradation occurs via electron impact as well as successive hydroxylation. - Abstract: In this study, methylene blue (MB) removal from an aqueous phase by electrical discharge non-thermal plasma (NTP) over water was investigated using three different feed gases: N{sub 2}, Ar, and O{sub 2}. The results showed that the dye removal rate was not strongly dependent on the feed gas when the electrical current was kept the same for all gases. The hydrogen peroxide generation in the water varied according to the feed gas (N{sub 2} < Ar < O{sub 2}). Using O{sub 2} as the feed gas, pyrite was added to the reactor in acid medium resulting in an accentuated increase in the dye removal, which suggests that pyrite acts as a Fenton-like catalyst. The total organic carbon (TOC) content of the dye solution decreased slightly as the plasma treatment time increased, but in the presence of the pyrite catalyst the TOC removal increased substantially. The acute toxicity test using Artemia sp. microcrustaceans showed that the treated solution is not toxic when Ar, O{sub 2} or O{sub 2}-pyrite is employed. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry analysis (ESI-MS) of the treated samples indicated that the dye degradation occurs via high energy electron impact as well as successive hydroxylation in the benzene rings of the dye molecules.

The effects of thermal motion of neutrals on the non-potential instabilities in a weakly sodium plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zigman, V.J.; Milic, B.S.

1982-01-01

The results of recent experimental measurements of the differential cross-section for elastic scattering of electrons on sodium atoms are used to evaluate the electron steady-state distribution function in a weakly ionized, uniform and non-magnetized sodium plasma placed in a d.c. electric field. The field is assumed to be of moderate intensity, so that the thermal motion of the neutrals has to be taken into account in the evaluation of the distribution function. The resulting 'modified Druyvesteinian function' is applied to study the non-potential instabilities arising from the presence of the field in this particular plasma. Threshold drifts for both very slow and slow modes are obtained and the conditions for the onset of instabilities are discussed. It is shown that the thermal motion of the neutrals affects both critical drifts and the angles of propagation. (author)

Physical phenomena in a low-temperature non-equilibrium plasma and in MHD generators with non-equilibrium conductivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Velikhov, E.P.; Golubev, V.S.; Dykhne, A.M.

1976-01-01

The paper assesses the position in 1975 of theoretical and experimental work on the physics of a magnetohydrodynamic generator with non-equilibrium plasma conductivity. This research started at the beginning of the 1960s; as work on the properties of thermally non-equilibrium plasma in magnetic fields and also in MHD generator ducts progressed, a number of phenomena were discovered and investigated that had either been unknown in plasma physics or had remained uninvestigated until that time: ionization instability and ionization turbulence of plasma in a magnetic field, acoustic instability of a plasma with anisotropic conductivity, the non-equilibrium ionization wave and the energy balance of a non-equilibrium plasma. At the same time, it was discovered what physical requirements an MHD generator with non-equilibrium conductivity must satisfy to achieve high efficiency in converting the thermal or kinetic energy of the gas flow into electric energy. The experiments on MHD power generation with thermally non-equilibrium plasma carried out up to 1975 indicated that it should be possible to achieve conversion efficiencies of up to 20-30%. (author)

Non-Thermal Plasma Treatment Diminishes Fungal Viability and Up-Regulates Resistance Genes in a Plant Host

Science.gov (United States)

Panngom, Kamonporn; Lee, Sang Hark; Park, Dae Hoon; Sim, Geon Bo; Kim, Yong Hee; Uhm, Han Sup; Park, Gyungsoon; Choi, Eun Ha

2014-01-01

Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species can have either harmful or beneficial effects on biological systems depending on the dose administered and the species of organism exposed, suggesting that application of reactive species can possibly produce contradictory effects in disease control, pathogen inactivation and activation of host resistance. A novel technology known as atmospheric-pressure non-thermal plasma represents a means of generating various reactive species that adversely affect pathogens (inactivation) while simultaneously up-regulating host defense genes. The anti-microbial efficacy of this technology was tested on the plant fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici and its susceptible host plant species Solanum lycopercicum. Germination of fungal spores suspended in saline was decreased over time after exposed to argon (Ar) plasma for 10 min. Although the majority of treated spores exhibited necrotic death, apoptosis was also observed along with the up-regulation of apoptosis related genes. Increases in the levels of peroxynitrite and nitrite in saline following plasma treatment may have been responsible for the observed spore death. In addition, increased transcription of pathogenesis related (PR) genes was observed in the roots of the susceptible tomato cultivar (S. lycopercicum) after exposure to the same Ar plasma dose used in fungal inactivation. These data suggest that atmospheric-pressure non-thermal plasma can be efficiently used to control plant fungal diseases by inactivating fungal pathogens and up-regulating mechanisms of host resistance. PMID:24911947

Non-thermal plasma treatment diminishes fungal viability and up-regulates resistance genes in a plant host.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kamonporn Panngom

Full Text Available Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species can have either harmful or beneficial effects on biological systems depending on the dose administered and the species of organism exposed, suggesting that application of reactive species can possibly produce contradictory effects in disease control, pathogen inactivation and activation of host resistance. A novel technology known as atmospheric-pressure non-thermal plasma represents a means of generating various reactive species that adversely affect pathogens (inactivation while simultaneously up-regulating host defense genes. The anti-microbial efficacy of this technology was tested on the plant fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici and its susceptible host plant species Solanum lycopercicum. Germination of fungal spores suspended in saline was decreased over time after exposed to argon (Ar plasma for 10 min. Although the majority of treated spores exhibited necrotic death, apoptosis was also observed along with the up-regulation of apoptosis related genes. Increases in the levels of peroxynitrite and nitrite in saline following plasma treatment may have been responsible for the observed spore death. In addition, increased transcription of pathogenesis related (PR genes was observed in the roots of the susceptible tomato cultivar (S. lycopercicum after exposure to the same Ar plasma dose used in fungal inactivation. These data suggest that atmospheric-pressure non-thermal plasma can be efficiently used to control plant fungal diseases by inactivating fungal pathogens and up-regulating mechanisms of host resistance.

Physical processes in relativistic plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Svensson, R.

1984-01-01

The continuum emission in many active galactic nuclei (AGNs) extend to 100 keV and beyond (e.g. Rothschild et al. 1983). In thermal models of the continuum emission this implies temperatures above 10 9 K or kT of order mc 2 . In such a plasma the electrons are at least mildly relativistic and furthermore the particles and the photons are energetic enough to produce electron-positron pairs. The physics of such hot plasmas has only recently been studied in any detail and here we review the results of those studies. Significant electron-positron pair production may also occur in non-thermal models of the continuum emission if the optical depth to photon-photon pair production is greater than unity. We review the few results obtained regarding this interesting but not very well studied possibility. First, however, we briefly discuss the processes taking place in relativistic plasmas and the standard models for the continuum emission from AGNs. We then summarize the effects pair production have on these models and the observational implications of the presence of electron-positron pairs. (orig./WL)

Flavour equilibration studies of quark-gluon plasma with non-zero ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Abstract. Flavour equilibration for a thermally equilibrated but chemically non- equilibrated quark-gluon plasma is presented. Flavour equilibration is studied enforcing baryon number conservation. In addition to the usual processes like single additional gluon production gg ⇌ ggg and its reverse and quark–antiquark pair ...

Wall ablation of heated compound-materials into non-equilibrium discharge plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Weizong; Kong, Linghan; Geng, Jinyue; Wei, Fuzhi; Xia, Guangqing

2017-02-01

The discharge properties of the plasma bulk flow near the surface of heated compound-materials strongly affects the kinetic layer parameters modeled and manifested in the Knudsen layer. This paper extends the widely used two-layer kinetic ablation model to the ablation controlled non-equilibrium discharge due to the fact that the local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) approximation is often violated as a result of the interaction between the plasma and solid walls. Modifications to the governing set of equations, to account for this effect, are derived and presented by assuming that the temperature of the electrons deviates from that of the heavy particles. The ablation characteristics of one typical material, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) are calculated with this improved model. The internal degrees of freedom as well as the average particle mass and specific heat ratio of the polyatomic vapor, which strongly depends on the temperature, pressure and plasma non-equilibrium degree and plays a crucial role in the accurate determination of the ablation behavior by this model, are also taken into account. Our assessment showed the significance of including such modifications related to the non-equilibrium effect in the study of vaporization of heated compound materials in ablation controlled arcs. Additionally, a two-temperature magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) model accounting for the thermal non-equilibrium occurring near the wall surface is developed and applied into an ablation-dominated discharge for an electro-thermal chemical launch device. Special attention is paid to the interaction between the non-equilibrium plasma and the solid propellant surface. Both the mass exchange process caused by the wall ablation and plasma species deposition as well as the associated momentum and energy exchange processes are taken into account. A detailed comparison of the results of the non-equilibrium model with those of an equilibrium model is presented. The non-equilibrium results

Sintering Behavior of Spark Plasma Sintered SiC with Si-SiC Composite Nanoparticles Prepared by Thermal DC Plasma Process.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Yeon-Tae; Naik, Gautam Kumar; Lim, Young-Bin; Yoon, Jeong-Mo

2017-11-25

The Si-coated SiC (Si-SiC) composite nanoparticle was prepared by non-transferred arc thermal plasma processing of solid-state synthesized SiC powder and was used as a sintering additive for SiC ceramic formation. Sintered SiC pellet was prepared by spark plasma sintering (SPS) process, and the effect of nano-sized Si-SiC composite particles on the sintering behavior of micron-sized SiC powder was investigated. The mixing ratio of Si-SiC composite nanoparticle to micron-sized SiC was optimized to 10 wt%. Vicker's hardness and relative density was increased with increasing sintering temperature and holding time. The relative density and Vicker's hardness was further increased by reaction bonding using additional activated carbon to the mixture of micron-sized SiC and nano-sized Si-SiC. The maximum relative density (97.1%) and Vicker's hardness (31.4 GPa) were recorded at 1800 °C sintering temperature for 1 min holding time, when 0.2 wt% additional activated carbon was added to the mixture of SiC/Si-SiC.

Investigating the Plasma-Assisted and Thermal Catalytic Dry Methane Reforming for Syngas Production: Process Design, Simulation and Evaluation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Evangelos Delikonstantis

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The growing surplus of green electricity generated by renewable energy technologies has fueled research towards chemical industry electrification. By adapting power-to-chemical concepts, such as plasma-assisted processes, cheap resources could be converted into fuels and base chemicals. However, the feasibility of those electrified processes at large scale has not been investigated yet. Thus, the current work strives to compare, for first time in the literature, plasma-assisted production of syngas, from CH4 and CO2 (dry methane reforming, with thermal catalytic dry methane reforming. Specifically, both processes are conceptually designed to deliver syngas suitable for methanol synthesis (H2/CO ≥ 2 in mole. The processes are simulated in the Aspen Plus process simulator where different process steps are investigated. Heat integration and equipment cost estimation are performed for the most promising process flow diagrams. Collectively, plasma-assisted dry methane reforming integrated with combined steam/CO2 methane reforming is an effective way to deliver syngas for methanol production. It is more sustainable than combined thermal catalytic dry methane reforming with steam methane reforming, which has also been proposed for syngas production of H2/CO ≥ 2; in the former process, 40% more CO2 is captured, while 38% less H2O is consumed per mol of syngas. Furthermore, the plasma-assisted process is less complex than the thermal catalytic one; it requires higher amount of utilities, but comparable capital investment.

Fundamental Processes in Plasmas. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Neil, Thomas M.; Driscoll, C. Fred

2009-01-01

This research focuses on fundamental processes in plasmas, and emphasizes problems for which precise experimental tests of theory can be obtained. Experiments are performed on non-neutral plasmas, utilizing three electron traps and one ion trap with a broad range of operating regimes and diagnostics. Theory is focused on fundamental plasma and fluid processes underlying collisional transport and fluid turbulence, using both analytic techniques and medium-scale numerical simulations. The simplicity of these systems allows a depth of understanding and a precision of comparison between theory and experiment which is rarely possible for neutral plasmas in complex geometry. The recent work has focused on three areas in basic plasma physics. First, experiments and theory have probed fundamental characteristics of plasma waves: from the low-amplitude thermal regime, to inviscid damping and fluid echoes, to cold fluid waves in cryogenic ion plasmas. Second, the wide-ranging effects of dissipative separatrices have been studied experimentally and theoretically, finding novel wave damping and coupling effects and important plasma transport effects. Finally, correlated systems have been investigated experimentally and theoretically: UCSD experients have now measured the Salpeter correlation enhancement, and theory work has characterized the 'guiding center atoms of antihydrogen created at CERN

Influence of non-equilibrium effects on plasma property functions in hybrid water-argon plasma torch

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Křenek, Petr; Hrabovský, Milan

2010-01-01

Roč. 14, 1-2 (2010), s. 95-100 ISSN 1093-3611. [European High Temperature Plasma Processes (HTPP)/10th./. Patras (Patras University), 07.07.2008-11.07.2008] R&D Projects: GA ČR GA202/08/1084 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20430508 Keywords : Thermal plasma * material properties * non-equlibrium phenomena * dc arc torch Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics Impact factor: 0.189, year: 2010 http://www.begellhouse.com/journals/57d172397126f956,227c67f42b79464a,5bbc4c7760b4b6cb.html

Effect of Non Thermal Plasma on Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) Forage Production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abd El-Daem, G.A.N.A.; El-Aragi, G.M.; Tarrad, M.M.; Zayed, E.M.

2013-01-01

Field experiments were conducted at Atomic Energy Authority (AEA) Farm, at Inshas, Egypt during 2011–2012 on alfalfa. The aim of this investigation to caused mutation in alfalfa to obtain new variation. Seeds of the alfalfa were subjected to six doses of non-thermal plasma pulse. The plasma (consisting of ozone, UV and visible light) was injected into the seed samples for different durations or number of pulses. The doses used treatments were 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 pulses (P) and non-treated control. The results showed difference seeds in both level field performances from cut 1st to cut 10th in the forage production. The results showed differences between the Control and treatment (number of pulses (P)) in each of all cuts for the productivity. The results showed the impact of plant height, Number of leaves/plant and number of branches/leaf and stem diameter as well as fresh weight of plant, fresh/weight (t/fed), dry yield (t/fed) in some cuts for Pulses 2, 4 and 10, and the ten pulses were the best for the majority of the qualities and cuts.

Morphological study of polymer surfaces exposed to non-thermal plasma based on contact angle and the use of scaling laws

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Felix, T., E-mail: tsfelix81@gmail.com [Chemistry Department, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Campus Trindade, 88040-900 Florianópolis, SC (Brazil); Cassini, F.A.; Benetoli, L.O.B. [Chemistry Department, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Campus Trindade, 88040-900 Florianópolis, SC (Brazil); Dotto, M.E.R. [Physics Department, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Campus Trindade, 88040-900 Florianópolis, SC (Brazil); Debacher, N.A. [Chemistry Department, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Campus Trindade, 88040-900 Florianópolis, SC (Brazil)

2017-05-01

Highlights: • Polymeric surfaces were etched using non-thermal plasma at different intensities. • Polymers of low mechanical hardness reached the saturation level faster. • A mathematical model based on scaling laws was proposed. - Abstract: The experiments presented in this communication have the purpose to elaborate an explanation for the morphological evolution of the growth of polymeric surfaces provided by the treatment of non-thermal plasma. According to the roughness analysis and the model proposed by scaling laws it is possible relate to a predictable or merely random effect. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and poly(etherether)ketone (PEEK) samples were exposed to a non-thermal plasma discharge and the resulting surfaces roughness were analyzed based on the measurements from contact angle, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy coupled with scaling laws analysis which can help to describe and understand the dynamic of formation of a wide variety of rough surfaces. The roughness, R{sub RMS} (RMS- Root Mean Square) values for polymer surface range between 19.8 nm and 110.9 nm. The contact angle and the AFM (Atomic Force Microscopy) measurements as a function of the plasma exposure time were in agreement with both polar and dispersive components according to the surface roughness and also with the morphology evaluated described by Wolf-Villain model, with proximate values of α between 0.91{sub (PET)} and 0.88{sub (PEEK)}, β = 0.25{sub (PET)} and z = 3,64{sub (PET)}.

Morphological study of polymer surfaces exposed to non-thermal plasma based on contact angle and the use of scaling laws

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Felix, T.; Cassini, F.A.; Benetoli, L.O.B.; Dotto, M.E.R.; Debacher, N.A.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Polymeric surfaces were etched using non-thermal plasma at different intensities. • Polymers of low mechanical hardness reached the saturation level faster. • A mathematical model based on scaling laws was proposed. - Abstract: The experiments presented in this communication have the purpose to elaborate an explanation for the morphological evolution of the growth of polymeric surfaces provided by the treatment of non-thermal plasma. According to the roughness analysis and the model proposed by scaling laws it is possible relate to a predictable or merely random effect. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and poly(etherether)ketone (PEEK) samples were exposed to a non-thermal plasma discharge and the resulting surfaces roughness were analyzed based on the measurements from contact angle, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy coupled with scaling laws analysis which can help to describe and understand the dynamic of formation of a wide variety of rough surfaces. The roughness, R_R_M_S (RMS- Root Mean Square) values for polymer surface range between 19.8 nm and 110.9 nm. The contact angle and the AFM (Atomic Force Microscopy) measurements as a function of the plasma exposure time were in agreement with both polar and dispersive components according to the surface roughness and also with the morphology evaluated described by Wolf-Villain model, with proximate values of α between 0.91_(_P_E_T_) and 0.88_(_P_E_E_K_), β = 0.25_(_P_E_T_) and z = 3,64_(_P_E_T_).

Method and Process Development of Advanced Atmospheric Plasma Spraying for Thermal Barrier Coatings

Science.gov (United States)

Mihm, Sebastian; Duda, Thomas; Gruner, Heiko; Thomas, Georg; Dzur, Birger

2012-06-01

Over the last few years, global economic growth has triggered a dramatic increase in the demand for resources, resulting in steady rise in prices for energy and raw materials. In the gas turbine manufacturing sector, process optimizations of cost-intensive production steps involve a heightened potential of savings and form the basis for securing future competitive advantages in the market. In this context, the atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) process for thermal barrier coatings (TBC) has been optimized. A constraint for the optimization of the APS coating process is the use of the existing coating equipment. Furthermore, the current coating quality and characteristics must not change so as to avoid new qualification and testing. Using experience in APS and empirically gained data, the process optimization plan included the variation of e.g. the plasma gas composition and flow-rate, the electrical power, the arrangement and angle of the powder injectors in relation to the plasma jet, the grain size distribution of the spray powder and the plasma torch movement procedures such as spray distance, offset and iteration. In particular, plasma properties (enthalpy, velocity and temperature), powder injection conditions (injection point, injection speed, grain size and distribution) and the coating lamination (coating pattern and spraying distance) are examined. The optimized process and resulting coating were compared to the current situation using several diagnostic methods. The improved process significantly reduces costs and achieves the requirement of comparable coating quality. Furthermore, a contribution was made towards better comprehension of the APS of ceramics and the definition of a better method for future process developments.

PREFACE: 13th High-Tech Plasma Processes Conference (HTPP-2014)

Science.gov (United States)

2014-11-01

The High-Tech Plasma Processes - 13th European Plasma Conference (HTPP-2014) was held in Toulouse (France) on 22-27 June 2014. The conference series started in 1990 as a thermal plasma conference and has gradually expanded to include other related topics. Now the High-Tech Plasma Processes - European Plasma Conference (HTPP) is an international conference organised in Europe every two years with topics encompassing the whole field of plasma processing science. The aim of the conference is to bring different scientific communities together, to facilitate contacts between science, technology and industry and to provide a platform for the exploration of both the fundamental topics and new applications of plasmas. For this edition of HTPP, as was the case for the last, we have acheived a well balanced participation from the communities of both thermal and non-thermal plasma researchers. 142 people from 17 countries attended the conference with the total number of contributions being 155, consisting of 8 plenary and 8 invited talks plus 51 oral and 88 poster contributions. We have received numerous papers corresponding to the contributions of HTPP-2014 that have been submitted for publication in this volume of Journal of Physics: Conference Series. Each submitted contribution has been peer reviewed (60 referees with at least two reviewing each paper) and the Editors are very grateful to the referees for their careful support in improving the original manuscripts. In total, 52 manuscripts have been accepted for publication covering a range of topics of plasma processing science from plasma fundamentals to process applications through to experiments, diagnostics and modelling. We have grouped the papers into the following 5 topics: - Arc-Materials Interaction and Metallurgy - Plasma Torches and Spraying - Synthesis of Powders and Nanomaterials - Deposition and Surface Treatment - Non-Equilibrium Plasmas We deeply thank the authors for their enthusiastic and high

Non-thermal plasma-activated water inactivation of food-borne pathogen on fresh produce

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ma, Ruonan; Wang, Guomin; Tian, Ying; Wang, Kaile [Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Zhang, Jue, E-mail: zhangjue@pku.edu.cn [Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Fang, Jing [Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China)

2015-12-30

Highlights: • We propose a new approach to treat S. aureus inoculated on strawberries by PAW. • PAW could inactivate S. aureus on strawberries via the Log Reduction results, further confirmed by CLSM and SEM. • The short-lived ROS in PAW are considered the most important agents in inactivation process. • No significant change was found in color, firmness and pH of the PAW treated strawberries. - Abstract: Non-thermal plasma has been widely considered to be an effective method for decontamination of foods. Recently, numerous studies report that plasma-activated water (PAW) also has outstanding antibacterial ability. This study presents the first report on the potential of PAW for the inactivation of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) inoculated on strawberries. PAW treatments achieved a reduction of S. aureus ranging from 1.6 to 2.3 log at day-0 storage, while 1.7 to 3.4 log at day-4 storage. The inactivation efficiency depended on the plasma-activated time for PAW generation and PAW-treated time of strawberries inoculated with S. aureus. LIVE/DEAD staining and scanning electron microscopy results confirm that PAW could damage the bacterial cell wall. Moreover, optical emission spectra and oxidation reduction potential results demonstrate the inactivation is mainly attributed to oxidative stress induced by reactive oxygen species in PAW. In addition, no significant change was found in color, firmness and pH of the PAW treated strawberries. Thus, PAW can be a promising alternative to traditional sanitizers applied in the fresh produce industry.

Non-thermal plasma-activated water inactivation of food-borne pathogen on fresh produce

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma, Ruonan; Wang, Guomin; Tian, Ying; Wang, Kaile; Zhang, Jue; Fang, Jing

2015-01-01

Highlights: • We propose a new approach to treat S. aureus inoculated on strawberries by PAW. • PAW could inactivate S. aureus on strawberries via the Log Reduction results, further confirmed by CLSM and SEM. • The short-lived ROS in PAW are considered the most important agents in inactivation process. • No significant change was found in color, firmness and pH of the PAW treated strawberries. - Abstract: Non-thermal plasma has been widely considered to be an effective method for decontamination of foods. Recently, numerous studies report that plasma-activated water (PAW) also has outstanding antibacterial ability. This study presents the first report on the potential of PAW for the inactivation of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) inoculated on strawberries. PAW treatments achieved a reduction of S. aureus ranging from 1.6 to 2.3 log at day-0 storage, while 1.7 to 3.4 log at day-4 storage. The inactivation efficiency depended on the plasma-activated time for PAW generation and PAW-treated time of strawberries inoculated with S. aureus. LIVE/DEAD staining and scanning electron microscopy results confirm that PAW could damage the bacterial cell wall. Moreover, optical emission spectra and oxidation reduction potential results demonstrate the inactivation is mainly attributed to oxidative stress induced by reactive oxygen species in PAW. In addition, no significant change was found in color, firmness and pH of the PAW treated strawberries. Thus, PAW can be a promising alternative to traditional sanitizers applied in the fresh produce industry.

Modeling and experimental validation of TCE abatement and ozone formation with non thermal plasma

OpenAIRE

Vandenbroucke, Arne; Aerts, Robby; Morent, Rino; De Geyter, Nathalie; Bogaerts, Annemie; Leys, Christophe

2012-01-01

In this study, the formation of ozone and the abatement of trichloroethylene (TCE) with non thermal plasma was experimentally and theoretically investigated. The model predicts that the ozone formation increases with the energy deposition and decreases with the relative humidity (RH) of the air, which is qualitatively in agreement with experimental data. For an energy deposition of 0.136 J/cm³, the abatement of 1000 ppm TCE in air with 5 % RH is dominated by atomic oxygen and to a lesser exte...

Growth and male reproduction improvement of non-thermal dielectric barrier discharge plasma treatment on chickens

Science.gov (United States)

Jiao Zhang, Jiao; Luong Huynh, Do; Chandimali, Nisansala; Kang, Tae Yoon; Kim, Nameun; Mok, Young Sun; Kwon, Taeho; Jeong, Dong Kee

2018-05-01

This study investigated whether plasma treatment of fertilized eggs before hatching could affect the growth and reproduction of chickens. Three point five-day-incubated fertilized eggs exposed to non-thermal dielectric barrier discharge plasma at 2.81 W of power for 2 min resulted in the highest growth in chickens. Plasma growth-promoting effect was regulated by the reactive oxygen species homeostasis and the improvement of energy metabolism via increasing serum hormones and adenosine triphosphate levels which were resulted from the regulation of genes involved in antioxidant defense, hormone biosynthesis and energetic metabolism. Interestingly, plasma-treated male chickens conspicuously grew faster than females. Further, aspects of male reproductive system (testosterone level and sperm quality) were improved by the plasma treatment but female reproduction (estradiol and progesterone levels, egg-laying rate and egg weight) had no significant changes. Unfortunately, offspring whose parents were the optimal plasma-treated chickens did not show any difference on growth characteristics and failed to inherit excellent growth features from their parents. Our results suggest a new method to improve the growth rate and male reproductive capacity in poultry but it is only effective in the plasma direct-treated generation.

The interplay between biological and physical scenarios of bacterial death induced by non-thermal plasma

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Lunov, Oleg; Zablotskyy, Vitaliy A.; Churpita, Olexandr; Jäger, Aleš; Polívka, Leoš; Syková, E.; Dejneka, Alexandr; Kubinová, Šárka

2016-01-01

Roč. 82, Mar (2016), s. 71-83 ISSN 0142-9612 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LO1409; GA MŠk(CZ) LM2011026 Grant - others:FUNBIO(XE) CZ.2.16/3.1.00/21568; AV ČR(CZ) Fellowship J. E. Purkyně Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : non-thermal plasma * bacteria * cytotoxicity * apoptosis * bacterial inactivation * reactive oxygen species (ROS) Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics Impact factor: 8.402, year: 2016

Ions and electrons thermal effects on the fast-slow mode conversion process in a three components plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fidone, I.; Gomberoff, L.

1977-07-01

Fast-slow mode conversion in a deuterium plasma with a small amount of hydrogen impurity, for frequencies close to the two-ion hybrid frequency, is investigated. It is shown that while electron thermal effects tend to inhibit the wave conversion process, ion thermal effects tend to restore, qualitatively, the cold plasma properties, favouring therefore, the energy exchange between the two modes. The aforementioned effects are competitive for zetasub(o)sup(e)=1/nsub(parall).vsub(e)>=1. For zetasub(o)sup(e)<=1, electron thermal effects, in particular Landau damping, dominate over ion Larmor radius effects, drastically diminishing the wave conversion efficacy. For zetasub(o)sup(e)<<1, the coupling between the modes disappears altogether

Disinfection effect of non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma for foodborne bacteria

Science.gov (United States)

Pervez, Mohammad Rasel; Inomata, Takanori; Ishijima, Tatsuo; Kakikawa, Makiko; Uesugi, Yoshihiko; Tanaka, Yasunori; Yano, Toshihiro; Miwa, Shoji; Noguchi, Akinori

2015-09-01

Non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma (NAPP) exposure can be a suitable alternative for bacteria inactivation in food processing industry. Specimen placed in the enclosure are exposed to various reactive radicals produced within the discharge chamber. It is also exposed to the periodic variation of the electric field strength in the chamber. Dielectric barrier discharge is produced by high voltage pulse (Vpp = 18 kV, pulse width 20 μs, repetition frequency 10 kHz) in a polypropylene box (volume = 350 cm3) using helium as main feed gas. Inactivation efficiency of NAPP depends on the duration of NAPP exposure, applied voltage pulse strength and type, pulse duration, electrode separation and feed gas composition. In this study we have investigated inactivation of Bacillus lichenformis spore as an example of food borne bacteria. Keeping applied voltage, electrode configuration and total gas flow rate constant, spores are exposed to direct NAPP for different time duration while O2 concentration in the feed gas composition is varied. 10 minutes NAPP exposure resulted in ~ 3 log reduction of Bacillus lichenformis spores for 1% O2concentration (initial concentration ~ 106 / specimen). This work is supported by research and development promotion grant provided by the Hokuriku Industrial Advancement Center.

Microwave Plasma Sources for Gas Processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mizeraczyk, J.; Jasinski, M.; Dors, M.; Zakrzewski, Z.

2008-01-01

In this paper atmospheric pressure microwave discharge methods and devices used for producing the non-thermal plasmas for processing of gases are presented. The main part of the paper concerns the microwave plasma sources (MPSs) for environmental protection applications. A few types of the MPSs, i.e. waveguide-based surface wave sustained MPS, coaxial-line-based and waveguide-based nozzle-type MPSs, waveguide-based nozzleless cylinder-type MPS and MPS for microdischarges are presented. Also, results of the laboratory experiments on the plasma processing of several highly-concentrated (up to several tens percent) volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including Freon-type refrigerants, in the moderate (200-400 W) waveguide-based nozzle-type MPS (2.45 GHz) are presented. The results showed that the microwave discharge plasma fully decomposed the VOCs at relatively low energy cost. The energy efficiency of VOCs decomposition reached 1000 g/kWh. This suggests that the microwave discharge plasma can be a useful tool for environmental protection applications. In this paper also results of the use of the waveguide-based nozzleless cylinder-type MPS to methane reforming into hydrogen are presented

Modeling of thermal plasma arc technology FY 1994 report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hawkes, G.L.; Nguyen, H.D.; Paik, S.; McKellar, M.G.

1995-03-01

The thermal plasma arc process is under consideration to thermally treat hazardous and radioactive waste. A computer model for the thermal plasma arc technology was designed as a tool to aid in the development and use of the plasma arc-Joule beating process. The value of this computer model is to: (a) aid in understanding the plasma arc-Joule beating process as applied to buried waste or exhumed buried waste, (b) help design melter geometry and electrode configuration, (c) calculate the process capability of vitrifying waste (i.e., tons/hour), (d) develop efficient plasma and melter operating conditions to optimize the process and/or reduce safety hazards, (e) calculate chemical reactions during treatment of waste to track chemical composition of off-gas products, and composition of final vitrified waste form and (f) help compare the designs of different plasma-arc facilities. A steady-state model of a two-dimensional axisymmetric transferred plasma arc has been developed and validated. A parametric analysis was performed that studied the effects of arc length, plasma gas composition, and input power on the temperatures and velocity profiles of the slag and plasma gas. A two-dimensional transient thermo-fluid model of the US Bureau of Mines plasma arc melter has been developed. This model includes the growth of a slag pool. The thermo-fluid model is used to predict the temperature and pressure fields within a plasma arc furnace. An analysis was performed to determine the effects of a molten metal pool on the temperature, velocity, and voltage fields within the slag. A robust and accurate model for the chemical equilibrium calculations has been selected to determine chemical composition of final waste form and off-gas based on the temperatures and pressures within the plasma-arc furnace. A chemical database has been selected. The database is based on the materials to be processed in the plasma arc furnaces

Effect of non-thermal air atmospheric pressure plasma jet treatment on gingival wound healing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jung-Hwan; Choi, Eun-Ha; Kim, Kwang-Mahn; Kim, Kyoung-Nam

2016-01-01

Non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasmas have been applied in the biomedical field for the improvement of various cellular activities. In dentistry, the healing of gingival soft tissue plays an important role in health and aesthetic outcomes. While the biomedical application of plasma has been thoroughly studied in dentistry, a detailed investigation of plasma-mediated human gingival fibroblast (HGF) migration for wound healing and its underlying biological mechanism is still pending. Therefore, the aim of this study is to apply a non-thermal air atmospheric pressure plasma jet (NTAAPPJ) to HGF to measure the migration and to reveal the underlying biological mechanisms involved in the migration. After the characterization of NTAAPPJ by optical emission spectroscopy, the adherent HGF was treated with NTAAPPJ or air with a different flow rate. Cell viability, lipid peroxidation, migration, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the expression of migration-related genes (EGFR, PAK1, and MAPK3) were investigated. The level of statistical significance was set at 0.05. NTAAPPJ and air treatment with a flow rate of 250–1000 standard cubic centimetres per minute (sccm) for up to 30 s did not induce significant decreases in cell viability or membrane damage. A significant increase in the migration of mitomycin C-treated HGF was observed after 30 s of NTAAPPJ treatment compared to 30 s air-only treatment, which was induced by high levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). An increase in migration-related gene expression and EGFR activation was observed following NTAAPPJ treatment in an air flow rate-dependent manner. This is the first report that NTAAPPJ treatment induces an increase in HGF migration without changing cell viability or causing membrane damage. HGF migration was related to an increase in intracellular ROS, changes in the expression of three of the migration-related genes (EGFR, PAK1, and MAPK1), and EGFR activation. Therefore

Application of Response Surface Methodology for characterization of ozone production from Multi-Cylinder Reactor in non-thermal plasma device

Science.gov (United States)

Lian See, Tan; Zulazlan Shah Zulkifli, Ahmad; Mook Tzeng, Lim

2018-04-01

Ozone is a reactant which can be applied for various environmental treatment processes. It can be generated via atmospheric air non-thermal plasmas when sufficient voltages are applied through a combination of electrodes and dielectric materials. In this study, the concentration of ozone generated via two different configurations of multi-cylinder dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor (3 x 40 mm and 10 x 10 mm) was investigated. The influence of the voltage and the duty cycle to the concentration of ozone generated by each configuration was analysed using response surface methodology. Voltage was identified as significant factor to the ozone production process. However, the regressed model was biased towards one of the configuration, leaving the predicted results of another configuration to be out of range.

Exploring Chemical and Thermal Non-equilibrium in Nitrogen Arcs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghorui, S; Das, A K

2012-01-01

Plasma torches operating with nitrogen are of special importance as they can operate with usual tungsten based refractory electrodes and offer radical rich non-oxidizing high temperature environment for plasma chemistry. Strong gradients in temperature as well as species densities and huge convective fluxes lead to varying degrees of chemical non-equilibrium in associated regions. An axi-symmetric two-temperature chemical non-equilibrium model of a nitrogen plasma torch has been developed to understand the effects of thermal and chemical non-equilibrium in arcs. A 2-D finite volume CFD code in association with a non-equilibrium property routine enabled extraction of steady state self-consistent distributions of various plasma quantities inside the torch under various thermal and chemical non-equilibrium conditions. Chemical non-equilibrium has been incorporated through computation of diffusive and convective fluxes in each finite volume cell in every iteration and associating corresponding thermodynamic and transport properties through the scheme of 'chemical non-equilibrium parameter' introduced by Ghorui et. al. Recombination coefficient data from Nahar et. al. and radiation data from Krey and Morris have been used in the simulation. Results are presented for distributions of temperature, pressure, velocity, current density, electric potential, species densities and chemical non-equilibrium effects. Obtained results are compared with similar results under LTE.

Development of ultra-hydrophilic and non-cytotoxic dental vinyl polysiloxane impression materials using a non-thermal atmospheric-pressure plasma jet

Science.gov (United States)

Kwon, Jae-Sung; Kim, Yong Hee; Choi, Eun Ha; Kim, Kyoung-Nam

2013-05-01

Dental vinyl polysiloxane (VPS) impression materials are widely used for the replication of intraoral tissue where hydrophilicity is important as the oral tissues are surrounded by wet saliva. Recent attempts to improve the wettability of VPS using a ‘surfactant’, however, have resulted in a high level of cytotoxicity. Hence, in this study, application of a non-thermal atmospheric-pressure plasma jet (NTAPPJ) on VPS and its effects in terms of both hydrophilicity and cytotoxicity were investigated. The results showed that the application of the plasma jet resulted in significant improvement of hydrophilicity of VPS that had no surfactant, whereby the results were similar to commercially available products with the surfactant. The surface chemical analysis results indicated that this was due to the oxidation and decreased amount of hydrocarbon on the surface following NTAPPJ exposure. Meanwhile, an NTAPPJ-treated sample was shown to be non-cytotoxic. Therefore, the use of dental VPS impression materials without any surfactant, in conjunction with an NTAPPJ treatment, is a promising method for ultra-hydrophilic but yet non-cytotoxic materials.

Development of ultra-hydrophilic and non-cytotoxic dental vinyl polysiloxane impression materials using a non-thermal atmospheric-pressure plasma jet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwon, Jae-Sung; Kim, Kyoung-Nam; Kim, Yong Hee; Choi, Eun Ha

2013-01-01

Dental vinyl polysiloxane (VPS) impression materials are widely used for the replication of intraoral tissue where hydrophilicity is important as the oral tissues are surrounded by wet saliva. Recent attempts to improve the wettability of VPS using a ‘surfactant’, however, have resulted in a high level of cytotoxicity. Hence, in this study, application of a non-thermal atmospheric-pressure plasma jet (NTAPPJ) on VPS and its effects in terms of both hydrophilicity and cytotoxicity were investigated. The results showed that the application of the plasma jet resulted in significant improvement of hydrophilicity of VPS that had no surfactant, whereby the results were similar to commercially available products with the surfactant. The surface chemical analysis results indicated that this was due to the oxidation and decreased amount of hydrocarbon on the surface following NTAPPJ exposure. Meanwhile, an NTAPPJ-treated sample was shown to be non-cytotoxic. Therefore, the use of dental VPS impression materials without any surfactant, in conjunction with an NTAPPJ treatment, is a promising method for ultra-hydrophilic but yet non-cytotoxic materials. (paper)

The energy partitioning of non-thermal particles in a plasma: the Coulomb logarithm revisited

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singleton, Robert L Jr; Brown, Lowell S

2008-01-01

The charged particle stopping power in a highly ionized and weakly to moderately coupled plasma has been calculated exactly to leading and next-to-leading accuracy in the plasma density by Brown, Preston and Singleton (BPS). Since the calculational techniques of BPS might be unfamiliar to some, and since the same methodology can also be used for other energy transport phenomena, we will review the main ideas behind the calculation. BPS used their stopping power calculation to derive a Fokker-Planck equation, also accurate to leading and next-to-leading orders, and we will also review this. We use this Fokker-Planck equation to compute the electron-ion energy partitioning of a charged particle traversing a plasma. The motivation for this application is ignition for inertial confinement fusion-more energy delivered to the ions means a better chance of ignition, and conversely. It is therefore important to calculate the fractional energy loss to electrons and ions as accurately as possible. One method by which one calculates the electron-ion energy splitting of a charged particle traversing a plasma involves integrating the stopping power dE/dx. However, as the charged particle slows down and becomes thermalized into the background plasma, this method of calculating the electron-ion energy splitting breaks down. As a result, it suffers a systematic error that may be as large as T/E 0 , where T is the plasma temperature and E 0 is the initial energy of the charged particle. The formalism presented here is designed to account for the thermalization process and it provides results that are near-exact.

Plasma technologies: applications to waste processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fauchais, P.

2007-01-01

Since the 1990's, plasma technologies have found applications in the processing of toxic wastes of military and industrial origin, like the treatment of contaminated solids and low level radioactive wastes, the decontamination of soils etc.. Since the years 2000, this development is becoming exponential, in particular for the processing of municipal wastes and the recovery of their synthesis gas. The advantage of thermal plasmas with respect to conventional combustion techniques are: a high temperature (more than 6000 K), a pyrolysis capability (CO formation instead of CO 2 ), about 90% of available energy above 1500 K (with respect to 23% with flames), a greater energy density, lower gas flow rates, and plasma start-up and shut-down times of only few tenth of seconds. This article presents: 1 - the present day situation of thermal plasmas development; 2 - some general considerations about plasma waste processing; 3 - the plasma processes: liquid toxic wastes, solid wastes (contaminated soils and low level radioactive wastes, military wastes, vitrification of incinerators fly ash, municipal wastes processing, treatment of asbestos fibers, treatment of chlorinated industrial wastes), metallurgy wastes (dusts, aluminium slags), medical and ship wastes, perspectives; 4 -conclusion. (J.S.)

Novel Therapeutic Effects of Non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma for Muscle Regeneration and Differentiation

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Jae Won; Kang, Sung Un; Kim, Yang Eun; Park, Ju Kyeong; Yang, Sang Sik; Kim, Yeon Soo; Lee, Yun Sang; Lee, Yuijina; Kim, Chul-Ho

2016-01-01

Skeletal muscle can repair muscle tissue damage, but significant loss of muscle tissue or its long-lasting chronic degeneration makes injured skeletal muscle tissue difficult to restore. It has been demonstrated that non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma (NTP) can be used in many biological areas including regenerative medicine. Therefore, we determined whether NTP, as a non-contact biological external stimulator that generates biological catalyzers, can induce regeneration of injured muscle without biomaterials. Treatment with NTP in the defected muscle of a Sprague Dawley (SD) rat increased the number of proliferating muscle cells 7 days after plasma treatment (dapt) and rapidly induced formation of muscle tissue and muscle cell differentiation at 14 dapt. In addition, in vitro experiments also showed that NTP could induce muscle cell proliferation and differentiation of human muscle cells. Taken together, our results demonstrated that NTP promotes restoration of muscle defects through control of cell proliferation and differentiation without biological or structural supporters, suggesting that NTP has the potential for use in muscle tissue engineering and regenerative therapies. PMID:27349181

Simulation of kinetic processes in the nuclear-excited helium non-ideal dusty plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Budnik, A.P.; Kosarev, V.A.; Rykov, V.A.; Fortov, V.E.; Vladimirov, V.I.; Deputatova, L.V.

2009-01-01

The paper is devoted to the studying of kinetic processes in the nuclear-excited plasma of the helium gas with the fine uranium (or its chemical compounds) particles admixture. A new theoretical model for the mathematical simulation of the kinetic processes in dusty plasma of helium gas was developed. The main goal of this investigation is to determine possibilities of a creation of non-ideal dusty plasma, containing nano- and micro-particles, and excited by fission fragments (copyright 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Dense high-temperature plasma transport processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giniyatova, Sh.G.

2002-01-01

In this work the transport processes in dense high-temperature semiclassical plasma are studied on the base of the kinetic equation, where the semiclassical potential was used, in its collision integral. The coefficient of plasma electrical conductivity, viscosity and thermal conductivity were received. There were compared with the other authors' results. The Grad's method was used obtaining of viscosity and thermal coefficients. (author)

Effect of indirect non-thermal plasma on particle size distribution and composition of diesel engine particles

Science.gov (United States)

Linbo, GU; Yixi, CAI; Yunxi, SHI; Jing, WANG; Xiaoyu, PU; Jing, TIAN; Runlin, FAN

2017-11-01

To explore the effect of the gas source flow rate on the actual diesel exhaust particulate matter (PM), a test bench for diesel engine exhaust purification was constructed, using indirect non-thermal plasma technology. The effects of different gas source flow rates on the quantity concentration, composition, and apparent activation energy of PM were investigated, using an engine exhaust particle sizer and a thermo-gravimetric analyzer. The results show that when the gas source flow rate was large, not only the maximum peak quantity concentrations of particles had a large drop, but also the peak quantity concentrations shifted to smaller particle sizes from 100 nm to 80 nm. When the gas source flow rate was 10 L min-1, the total quantity concentration greatly decreased where the removal rate of particles was 79.2%, and the variation of the different mode particle proportion was obvious. Non-thermal plasma (NTP) improved the oxidation ability of volatile matter as well as that of solid carbon. However, the NTP gas source rate had little effects on oxidation activity of volatile matter, while it strongly influenced the oxidation activity of solid carbon. Considering the quantity concentration and oxidation activity of particles, a gas source flow rate of 10 L min-1 was more appropriate for the purification of particles.

Influence of Bondcoat Spray Process on Lifetime of Suspension Plasma-Sprayed Thermal Barrier Coatings

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, M.; Markocsan, N.; Li, X.-H.; Östergren, L.

2018-01-01

Development of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) manufactured by suspension plasma spraying (SPS) is of high commercial interest as SPS has been shown capable of producing highly porous columnar microstructures similar to the conventionally used electron beam-physical vapor deposition. However, lifetime of SPS coatings needs to be improved further to be used in commercial applications. The bondcoat microstructure as well as topcoat-bondcoat interface topography affects the TBC lifetime significantly. The objective of this work was to investigate the influence of different bondcoat deposition processes for SPS topcoats. In this work, a NiCoCrAlY bondcoat deposited by high velocity air fuel (HVAF) was compared to commercial vacuum plasma-sprayed NiCoCrAlY and PtAl diffusion bondcoats. All bondcoat variations were prepared with and without grit blasting the bondcoat surface. SPS was used to deposit the topcoats on all samples using the same spray parameters. Lifetime of these samples was examined by thermal cyclic fatigue testing. Isothermal heat treatment was performed to study bondcoat oxidation over time. The effect of bondcoat deposition process and interface topography on lifetime in each case has been discussed. The results show that HVAF could be a suitable process for bondcoat deposition in SPS TBCs.

Radicals and Non-Equilibrium Processes in Low-Temperature Plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Petrović, Zoran; Mason, Nigel; Hamaguchi, Satoshi; Radmilović-Radjenović, Marija

2007-06-01

Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts and Institute of Physics, Belgrade. Each Symposium has sought to highlight a key topic of plasma research and the 5th EU - Japan symposium explored the role of Radicals and Non-Equilibrium Processes in Low-Temperature Plasmas since these are key elements of plasma processing. Other aspects of technologies for manufacturing integrated circuits were also considered. Unlike bio-medicine and perhaps politics, in plasma processing free radicals are `good radicals' but their kinetics are difficult to understand since there remains little data on their collisions with electrons and ions. One of the goals of the symposium was to facilitate communication between experimentalists and theorists in binary collision physics with plasma modellers and practitioners of plasma processing in order to optimize efforts to provide much needed data for both molecules and radicals of practical importance. The non-equilibrium nature of plasmas is critical in the efficient manufacturing of high resolution structures by anisotropic plasma etching on Si wafers since they allow separate control of the directionality and energy of ions and provide a high level of separation between the mean energies of electrons and ions. As nanotechnologies become practical, plasma processing may play a key role, not only in manufacturing of integrated circuits, but also for self-organization of massively parallel manufacturing of nanostructures. In this Symposium the key issues that are hindering the development of such new, higher resolution technologies were discussed and some possible solutions were proposed. In particular, damage control, fast neutral etching, processes at surface and modeling of profiles were addressed in several of the lectures. A wide range of topics are covered in this book including atomic and molecular collision physics - primarily focused towards formation and analysis of radicals, basic swarm data and breakdown kinetics, basic kinetics of RF and DC

Numerical study of non-ideal Vlasov-BGK plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levchenko, V.D.; Sigov, Y.S.; Premuda, F.

1995-01-01

A relatively simple quasi-classical description of quantum plasmas using as first approximation the Bhatnagar-Gross-Krook (BGK) collision integral, if combined with the modern numerical simulation methods, might be effective tool of a deep study of non-ideal plasma kinetics in a variety of urgent applications as inertial confinement and cold fusion, transport and collective properties of highly condensed plasmas in liquid metals, semi- and superconductors and others. Consider one-dimensional degenerate plasma consisting of thermal electrons and thermal bosons (deuterons) in the vicinity of the equilibrium Fermi- and Bose-type distributions respectively. In the frame of our rough mixed model we solve Vlasov-BGK-Poisson eqs using simplified version of the SUR code

Thermal plasma chemical vapor deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heberlein, J.; Pfender, E.

1993-01-01

Thermal plasmas, with temperatures up to and even exceeding 10 4 K, are capable of producing high density vapor phase precursors for the deposition of relatively thick films. Although this technology is still in its infancy, it will fill the void between the relatively slow deposition processes such as physical vapor deposition and the high rate thermal spray deposition processes. In this chapter, the present state-of-the-art of this field is reviewed with emphasis on the various types of reactors proposed for this emerging technology. Only applications which attracted particular attention, namely diamond and high T c superconducting film deposition, are discussed in greater detail. (orig.)

Performance evaluation of non-thermal plasma on particulate matter, ozone and CO2 correlation for diesel exhaust emission reduction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Babaie, Meisam; Davari, Pooya; Talebizadeh, Poyan

2015-01-01

This study is seeking to investigate the effect of non-thermal plasma technology in the abatement of particulate matter (PM) from the actual diesel exhaust. Ozone (O3) strongly promotes PM oxidation, the main product of which is carbon dioxide (CO2). PM oxidation into the less harmful product (CO2...

Thermal efficiency of a non-transferred thermal plasma cannon; Eficiencia termica de un canon de plasma termico no-transferido

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mercado, A; Cota, G; Merlo, L; Pacheco, J; Pena, R; Cruz, A [Instituto nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares, A.P. 18-1027, 11801 Mexico D.F. (Mexico)

1997-07-01

This work shows a thermal efficiency research ({nu}) for a plasma torch in d.c. which was carried out through the realization of an energy balance around the system under consideration. The plasma torch is manufactured in copper with a tungsten incrustations in cathode. The gas used was argon and the gas fluxes were at the rank of 10 and 40 lt/min to the total pressure of 1.2 bar (1.1 atm). With these conditions it was worked with electric currents at the rank of 40 and 180 A. The data were collected through a data acquisition card which was programmed in Windows environment. (Author)

Plasma thermal performance of a dual-process PVD/PS tungsten coating on carbon-based panels for nuclear fusion application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Hyunmyung; Lee, Ho Jung; Kim, Sung Hwan; Jang, Changheui

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Plasma thermal performance of a dual-process PVD/PS W coating was evaluated. • Steady-state heat fluxes of 1–3 MW/m 2 were applied to the W coated specimens. • Less micro-pores and grain growth were observed for the dual-process coating. • Loss of coating thickness was observed for the simple PS W coating. • Dual-process PVD/PS W coating was resistant to erosion due to the surface PVD layer. - Abstract: Various tungsten (W) coating techniques have been used for the application of plasma facing material in nuclear fusion devices, which resulted in limited success. In this study, a dual-process W coating structure was developed on a graphite substrate to improve the thermal performance of the coating structure. The dual-process coating structure consisted of a thin (∼7 μm) multilayer W/Mo physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating layer deposited on top of the relatively thick (∼160 μm) plasma spray (PS) W coating on a graphite substrate panel. Then the coated sample was exposed to plasma heat flux of 1–3 MW/m 2 for 300 s. With addition of a thin surface PVD coating layer, the microstructure change in underlying PS W coating was substantially reduced compared to the simple PS W coating structure. The thickness of overall coating structure was maintained for the dual-process PVD/PS coated samples after the thermal loading tests, while a significant reduction in thickness due to surface erosion was observed for the simple PS W coated samples. The improvement in surface erosion resistance in the dual-process coating structure was discussed in view of the characteristics of PVD and PS coating layers.

Plasma thermal performance of a dual-process PVD/PS tungsten coating on carbon-based panels for nuclear fusion application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Hyunmyung; Lee, Ho Jung; Kim, Sung Hwan; Jang, Changheui, E-mail: chjang@kaist.ac.kr

2016-11-01

Highlights: • Plasma thermal performance of a dual-process PVD/PS W coating was evaluated. • Steady-state heat fluxes of 1–3 MW/m{sup 2} were applied to the W coated specimens. • Less micro-pores and grain growth were observed for the dual-process coating. • Loss of coating thickness was observed for the simple PS W coating. • Dual-process PVD/PS W coating was resistant to erosion due to the surface PVD layer. - Abstract: Various tungsten (W) coating techniques have been used for the application of plasma facing material in nuclear fusion devices, which resulted in limited success. In this study, a dual-process W coating structure was developed on a graphite substrate to improve the thermal performance of the coating structure. The dual-process coating structure consisted of a thin (∼7 μm) multilayer W/Mo physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating layer deposited on top of the relatively thick (∼160 μm) plasma spray (PS) W coating on a graphite substrate panel. Then the coated sample was exposed to plasma heat flux of 1–3 MW/m{sup 2} for 300 s. With addition of a thin surface PVD coating layer, the microstructure change in underlying PS W coating was substantially reduced compared to the simple PS W coating structure. The thickness of overall coating structure was maintained for the dual-process PVD/PS coated samples after the thermal loading tests, while a significant reduction in thickness due to surface erosion was observed for the simple PS W coated samples. The improvement in surface erosion resistance in the dual-process coating structure was discussed in view of the characteristics of PVD and PS coating layers.

On the Non-Thermal Energy Content of Cosmic Structures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Franco Vazza

2016-11-01

Full Text Available (1 Background: the budget of non-thermal energy in galaxy clusters is not well constrained, owing to the observational and theoretical difficulties in studying these diluted plasmas on large scales; (2 Method: we use recent cosmological simulations with complex physics in order to connect the emergence of non-thermal energy to the underlying evolution of gas and dark matter; (3 Results: the impact of non-thermal energy (e.g., cosmic rays, magnetic fields and turbulent motions is found to increase in the outer region of galaxy clusters. Within numerical and theoretical uncertainties, turbulent motions dominate the budget of non-thermal energy in most of the cosmic volume; (4 Conclusion: assessing the distribution non-thermal energy in galaxy clusters is crucial to perform high-precision cosmology in the future. Constraining the level of non-thermal energy in cluster outskirts will improve our understanding of the acceleration of relativistic particles and of the origin of extragalactic magnetic fields.

Optimizing Compliance and Thermal Conductivity of Plasma Sprayed Thermal Barrier Coatings via Controlled Powders and Processing Strategies

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Yang; Srinivasan, Vasudevan; Nakamura, Toshio; Sampath, Sanjay; Bertrand, Pierre; Bertrand, Ghislaine

2012-09-01

The properties and performance of plasma-sprayed thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) are strongly dependent on the microstructural defects, which are affected by starting powder morphology and processing conditions. Of particular interest is the use of hollow powders which not only allow for efficient melting of zirconia ceramics but also produce lower conductivity and more compliant coatings. Typical industrial hollow spray powders have an assortment of densities resulting in masking potential advantages of the hollow morphology. In this study, we have conducted process mapping strategies using a novel uniform shell thickness hollow powder to control the defect microstructure and properties. Correlations among coating properties, microstructure, and processing reveal feasibility to produce highly compliant and low conductivity TBC through a combination of optimized feedstock and processing conditions. The results are presented through the framework of process maps establishing correlations among process, microstructure, and properties and providing opportunities for optimization of TBCs.

Effects of background fluid on the efficiency of inactivating yeast with non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Young-Hyo Ryu

Full Text Available Non-thermal plasma at atmospheric pressure has been actively applied to sterilization. However, its efficiency for inactivating microorganisms often varies depending on microbial species and environments surrounding the microorganisms. We investigated the influence of environmental factors (surrounding media on the efficiency of microbial inactivation by plasma using an eukaryotic model microbe, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, to elucidate the mechanisms for differential efficiency of sterilization by plasma. Yeast cells treated with plasma in water showed the most severe damage in viability and cell morphology as well as damage to membrane lipids, and genomic DNA. Cells in saline were less damaged compared to those in water, and those in YPD (Yeast extract, Peptone, Dextrose were least impaired. HOG1 mitogen activated protein kinase was activated in cells exposed to plasma in water and saline. Inactivation of yeast cells in water and saline was due to the acidification of the solutions by plasma, but higher survival of yeast cells treated in saline may have resulted from the additional effect related to salt strength. Levels of hydroxyl radical (OH· produced by plasma were the highest in water and the lowest in YPD. This may have resulted in differential inactivation of yeast cells in water, saline, and YPD by plasma. Taken together, our data suggest that the surrounding media (environment can crucially affect the outcomes of yeast cell plasma treatment because plasma modulates vital properties of media, and the toxic nature of plasma can also be altered by the surrounding media.

Radioactive waste combustion-vitrification under arc plasma: thermal and dynamic modelling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barthelemy, B.

2003-06-01

This thesis concerns the thermal and dynamic modelling for a combustion/vitrification process of surrogate radioactive waste under transferred arc plasma. The writer presents the confinement processes for radioactive waste using arc plasma and the different software used to model theses processes. This is followed by a description of our experimental equipment including a plasma arc reactor and an inductive system allowing the homogenization of glass temperature. A combustion/vitrification test is described. Thermal and material balances were discussed. The temperature fields of plasma arc and the glass frit conductivity are measured. Finally, the writer describes and clarifies the equations solved for the simulations of the electrically plasma arc and the glass melting including the thin layer of glass frit coating the crucible cold walls. The modelling results are presented in the form of spatial distribution of temperature, velocity and voluminal power... (author)

Radioactive waste combustion / vitrification under arc plasma: thermal and dynamic modelling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barthelemy, B.

2003-01-01

This thesis concerns the thermal and dynamic modelling for a combustion/vitrification process of surrogate radioactive waste under transferred arc plasma. The writer presents the confinement processes for radioactive waste using arc plasma and the different software used to model theses processes. This is followed by a description of our experimental equipment including a plasma arc reactor and an inductive system allowing the homogenization of glass temperature. A combustion/vitrification test is described. Thermal and material balances were discussed. The temperature fields of plasma arc and the glass frit conductivity are measured. Finally, the writer describes and clarifies the equations solved for the simulations of the electrically plasma arc and the glass melting including the thin layer of glass frit coating the crucible cold walls. The modelling results are presented in the form of spatial distribution of temperature, velocity and volume power... (author)

Spectroscopic diagnostics of industrial plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joshi, N.K.

2004-01-01

Plasmas play key role in modern industry and are being used for processing micro electronic circuits to the destruction of toxic waste. Characterization of industrial plasmas which includes both 'thermal plasmas' and non-equilibrium plasmas or 'cold plasmas' in industrial environment offers quite a challenge. Numerous diagnostic techniques have been developed for the measurement of these partially ionized plasma and/or particulate parameters. The 'simple' non-invasive spectroscopic methods for characterization of industrial plasmas will be discussed in detail in this paper. The excitation temperature in thermal (DC/RF) plasma jets has been determined using atomic Boltzmann technique. The central axis temperature of thermal plasma jets in a spray torch can be determined using modified atomic Boltzmann technique with out using Abel inversion. The Stark broadening of H β and Ar-I (430 nm) lines have been used to determine the electron number density in thermal plasma jets. In low-pressure non-equilibrium argon plasma, electron temperature has been measured using the Corona model from the ratio of line intensities of atomic and ionic transitions. (author)

Position- and time-resolved Stark broadening diagnostics of a non-thermal laser-induced plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Hao; Truscott, Benjamin S; Ashfold, Michael N R

2016-01-01

We present an analysis of the Stark-broadened line shapes of silicon ions in a laser-induced plasma using a model constructed, without assuming local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE), using a Druyvesteyn electron energy distribution function (EEDF). The method is applied to temporally and spatially resolved measurements of Si 2+ and Si 3+ emissions from a transient plasma expanding into vacuum, produced by 1064 nm, nanosecond pulsed laser ablation of a Si (1 0 0) target. The best-fitting simulated line shapes and the corresponding electron number densities and temperatures (or equivalently, Druyvesteyn average energies) are compared with those returned assuming LTE (i.e. for a Maxwellian EEDF). Non-thermal behavior is found to dominate at all but the very earliest stages of expansion close to the target surface, consistent with McWhirter’s criterion for the establishment of LTE. The Druyvesteyn EEDF always yields an equivalent or better model of the experimental measurements, and the observed increasingly strong departure from the Maxwellian case with time and distance from the ablation event highlights the essential invalidity of the LTE assumption for moderate-power, nanosecond laser-induced plasma expanding in vacuo. (paper)

Vision-aided Monitoring and Control of Thermal Spray, Spray Forming, and Welding Processes

Science.gov (United States)

Agapakis, John E.; Bolstad, Jon

1993-01-01

Vision is one of the most powerful forms of non-contact sensing for monitoring and control of manufacturing processes. However, processes involving an arc plasma or flame such as welding or thermal spraying pose particularly challenging problems to conventional vision sensing and processing techniques. The arc or plasma is not typically limited to a single spectral region and thus cannot be easily filtered out optically. This paper presents an innovative vision sensing system that uses intense stroboscopic illumination to overpower the arc light and produce a video image that is free of arc light or glare and dedicated image processing and analysis schemes that can enhance the video images or extract features of interest and produce quantitative process measures which can be used for process monitoring and control. Results of two SBIR programs sponsored by NASA and DOE and focusing on the application of this innovative vision sensing and processing technology to thermal spraying and welding process monitoring and control are discussed.

Foundations of atmospheric pressure non-equilibrium plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Bruggeman, Peter J.; Iza, Felipe; Brandenburg, Ronny

2017-12-01

Non-equilibrium plasmas have been intensively studied over the past century in the context of material processing, environmental remediation, ozone generation, excimer lamps and plasma display panels. Research on atmospheric pressure non-equilibrium plasmas intensified over the last two decades leading to a large variety of plasma sources that have been developed for an extended application range including chemical conversion, medicine, chemical analysis and disinfection. The fundamental understanding of these discharges is emerging but there remain a lot of unexplained phenomena in these intrinsically complex plasmas. The properties of non-equilibrium plasmas at atmospheric pressure span over a huge range of electron densities as well as heavy particle and electron temperatures. This paper provides an overview of the key underlying processes that are important for the generation and stabilization of atmospheric pressure non-equilibrium plasmas. The unique physical and chemical properties of theses discharges are also summarized.

The role of non-thermal atmospheric pressure biocompatible plasma in the differentiation of osteoblastic precursor cells, MC3T3-E1.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Ihn; Choi, Eun Ha

2017-05-30

Non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma is ionized matter, composed of highly reactive species that include positive ions, negative ions, free radicals, neutral atoms, and molecules. Recent reports have suggested that non-thermal biocompatible plasma (NBP) can selectively kill a variety of cancer cells, and promote stem cell differentiation. However as of yet, the regulation of proliferation and differentiation potential of NBP has been poorly understood.Here, we investigated the effects of NBP on the osteogenic differentiation of precursor cell lines of osteoblasts, MC3T3 E1 and SaOS-2. For in vitro osteogenic differentiation, precursor cell lines were treated with NBP, and cultured with osteogenic induction medium. After 10 days of treatment, the NBP was shown to be effective in osteogenic differentiation in MC3T3 E1 cells by von Kossa and Alizarin Red S staining assay. Real-time PCR was then performed to investigate the expression of osteogenic specific genes, Runx2, OCN, COL1, ALP and osterix in MC3T3 E1 cells after treatment with NBP for 4 days. Furthermore, analysis of the protein expression showed that NBP treatment significantly reduced PI3K/AKT signaling and MAPK family signaling. However, p38 controlled phosphorylation of transcription factor forkhead box O1 (FoxO1) that related to cell differentiation with increased phosphorylated p38. These results suggest that non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma can induce osteogenic differentiation, and enhance bone formation.

Applications of non-equilibrium plasma in chemical processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patino, P.; Castro, A.

2003-01-01

By means of optical emission spectroscopy the population of O( 3 P) in a non-equilibrium, high voltage, oxygen plasma, and O( 3 P), H and OH in another of steam in radio frequency, have been followed. Reactions of both plasmas with liquid hydrocarbons have produced oxidation and/or hydrogenation, depending on the conditions of each one. (Author)

Full-wave Simulations of LH Wave Propagation in Toroidal Plasma with non-Maxwellian Electron Distributions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valeo, E.J.; Phillips, C.K.; Bonoli, P.T.; Wright, J.C.; Brambilla, M.

2007-01-01

The generation of energetic tails in the electron distribution function is intrinsic to lower-hybrid (LH) heating and current drive in weakly collisional magnetically confined plasma. The effects of these deformations on the RF deposition profile have previously been examined within the ray approximation. Recently, the calculation of full-wave propagation of LH waves in a thermal plasma has been accomplished using an adaptation of the TORIC code. Here, initial results are presented from TORIC simulations of LH propagation in a toroidal plasma with non-thermal electrons. The required efficient computation of the hot plasma dielectric tensor is accomplished using a technique previously demonstrated in full-wave simulations of ICRF propagation in plasma with non-thermal ions

Removal of gas phase low-concentration toluene over Mn, Ag and Ce modified HZSM-5 catalysts by periodical operation of adsorption and non-thermal plasma regeneration.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wenzheng; Wang, Honglei; Zhu, Tianle; Fan, Xing

2015-07-15

Ag/HZSM-5, Mn/HZSM-5, Ce/HZSM-5, Ag-Mn/HZSM-5 and Ce-Mn/HZSM-5 were prepared by impregnation method. Both their adsorption capacity and catalytic activity were investigated for the removal of gas phase low-concentration toluene by periodical operation of adsorption and non-thermal plasma regeneration. Results show that catalysts loaded with Ag (Ag/HZSM-5 and Ag-Mn/HZSM-5) had larger adsorption capacity for toluene than the other catalysts. And Ag-Mn/HZSM-5 displayed the best catalytic performance for both toluene oxidation by non-thermal plasma and byproducts suppression. On the other hand, the deactivated catalyst can be fully regenerated by calcining in air stream when its adsorption capacity and catalytic activity of the Ag-Mn/HZSM-5 catalyst was found to be decreased after 10 cycles of periodical adsorption and non-thermal regeneration. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Morphological study of polymer surfaces exposed to non-thermal plasma based on contact angle and the use of scaling laws

Science.gov (United States)

Felix, T.; Cassini, F. A.; Benetoli, L. O. B.; Dotto, M. E. R.; Debacher, N. A.

2017-05-01

The experiments presented in this communication have the purpose to elaborate an explanation for the morphological evolution of the growth of polymeric surfaces provided by the treatment of non-thermal plasma. According to the roughness analysis and the model proposed by scaling laws it is possible relate to a predictable or merely random effect. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and poly(etherether)ketone (PEEK) samples were exposed to a non-thermal plasma discharge and the resulting surfaces roughness were analyzed based on the measurements from contact angle, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy coupled with scaling laws analysis which can help to describe and understand the dynamic of formation of a wide variety of rough surfaces. The roughness, RRMS (RMS- Root Mean Square) values for polymer surface range between 19.8 nm and 110.9 nm. The contact angle and the AFM (Atomic Force Microscopy) measurements as a function of the plasma exposure time were in agreement with both polar and dispersive components according to the surface roughness and also with the morphology evaluated described by Wolf-Villain model, with proximate values of α between 0.91(PET) and 0.88(PEEK), β = 0.25(PET) and z = 3,64(PET).

Preliminary degradation process study of infectious biological waste in a 5 k W thermal plasma equipment.; Estudio Preliminar de Proceso de degradacion de residuos biologico-infecciosos en un equipo de plasma termico de 5 kW

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xochihua S M, M C

1998-12-31

This work is a preliminary study of infectious biological waste degradation process by thermal plasma and was made in Thermal Plasma Applications Laboratory of Environmental Studies Department of the National Institute of Nuclear Research (ININ). Infectious biological waste degradation process is realized by using samples such polyethylene, cotton, glass, etc., but the present study scope is to analyze polyethylene degradation process with mass and energy balances involved. Degradation method is realized as follow: a polyethylene sample is put in an appropriated crucible localized inside a pyrolysis reactor chamber, the plasma jet is projected to the sample, by the pyrolysis phenomena the sample is degraded into its constitutive particles: carbon and hydrogen. Air was utilized as a recombination gas in order to obtain the higher percent of CO{sub 2} if amount of O{sub 2} is greater in the recombination gas, the CO generation is reduced. The effluent gases of exhaust pyrolysis reactor through are passed through a heat exchanger to get cooled gases, the temperature water used is 15 Centigrade degrees. Finally the gases was tried into absorption tower with water as an absorbent fluid. Thermal plasma degradation process is a very promising technology, but is necessary to develop engineering process area to avail all advantages of thermal plasma. (Author).

Formation Process of Non-Neutral Plasmas by Multiple Electron Beams on BX-U

Science.gov (United States)

Sanpei, Akio; Himura, Haruhiko; Masamune, Sadao

An imaging diagnostic system, which is composed of a handmade phosphor screen and a high-speed camera, has been applied to identify the dynamics of multiple electron beams on BX-U. The relaxation process of those toward a non-neutral plasma is experimentally identified. Also, the radial density profile of the plasma is measured as a function of time. Assuming that the plasma is a spheroidal shape, the value of electron density ne is in the range between 2.2 × 106 and 4.4 × 108 cm-3 on BX-U.

Recent progress in the modelling of thermal plasma systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xi Chen

2002-01-01

Plasma flow and heat transfer in thermal plasma systems are often of three-dimensional (3-D) features and cannot be well studied by use of a two-dimensional modelling approach. 3-D modelling studies are recently performed in our group. It is found that appreciable 3-D effects exist within non-transferred DC arc plasma torches even for the case with axisymmetrical external conditions. The key for the successful 3-D modelling of the non-transferred arc plasma torch is that the anode-nozzle wall is included in the computational domain. The predicted results are favorably compared with experimental observation. 3-D modelling of the plasma jets with lateral injection of particulate matter and its carrier gas also reveals distinct 3-D effects with the injection velocity and the distance between the carrier-gas injection-tube tip and the jet edge as critical parameters. The 3-D effects appreciably influence the trajectories and heating histories of particles injected into the plasma jet. (author)

Oscillatory processes in plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gallin, E.

1980-01-01

The oscillatory process play an important part in plasma evolution, In hot plasma in particular, the interactions between the oscillation modes are preponderant in relation to the binary collisions between particles. The nonlineary interactions between collective plasma oscillations can generate, in this case, a non-balanced steady state of plasma (steady turbulence). The paper elucidates some aspects of the oscillatory phenomena which contribute to the plasma state evolution, especially of hot plasma. A major part of the paper is devoted to the study of parametric instabilities in plasma and their role in increasing the temperature of plasma components (electrons, ions). Both parametric instabilities in plasma in the vicinity of thermodynamic balance and parametric processes is steady turbulent plasma are analysed - in relation to additional heating of hot plasma. An important result of the thesis refers to the drowing-up of a non-lineary interaction model between the oscillation modes in turbulent plasma, being responsible for the electromagnetic radiation in hot plasma. On the basis of the model suggested in the paper the existence of a low frequency radiative mode in hot plasma in a turbulent state, can be demonstrated. Its frequency could be even lower than plasma frequency in the field of long waves be even lower than plasma frequency in the field of long waves. Such a radiative mode was detected experimentally in focussed plasma installations. (author)

Analysis of the step responses of laminar premixed flames to forcing by non-thermal plasma

KAUST Repository

Lacoste, Deanna A.

2016-07-16

The step responses of lean methane-air flames to non-thermal plasma forcing is reported. The experimental setup consists of an axisymmetric burner, with a nozzle made of a quartz tube. The equivalence ratio is 0.95, allowing stabilization of the flame in a V-shape or an M-shape geometry, over a central stainless steel rod. The plasma is produced by short pulses of 10-ns duration, 8-kV maximum voltage amplitude, applied at 10 kHz. The central rod is used as a cathode, while the anode is a stainless steel ring, fixed on the outer surface of the quartz tube. Plasma forcing is produced by positive or negative steps of plasma. The step response of the flame is investigated through heat release rate (HRR) fluctuations, to facilitate comparisons with flame response to acoustic perturbations. The chemiluminescence of CH* between two consecutive pulses was recorded using an intensified camera equipped with an optical filter to estimate the HRR fluctuations. First, the results show that the flame does not respond to each single plasma pulse, but is affected only by the average plasma power, confirming the step nature of the forcing. The temporal evolutions of HRR are analyzed and the flame transfer functions are determined. A forcing mechanism, as a local increase in the reactivity of the fluid close to the rod, is proposed and compared with numerical simulations. Experiments and numerical simulations are in good qualitative agreement. © 2016.

Laser schlieren deflectometry for temperature analysis of filamentary non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma.

Science.gov (United States)

Schäfer, J; Foest, R; Reuter, S; Kewitz, T; Šperka, J; Weltmann, K-D

2012-10-01

The heat convection generated by micro filaments of a self-organized non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma jet in Ar is characterized by employing laser schlieren deflectometry (LSD). It is demonstrated as a proof of principle, that the spatial and temporal changes of the refractive index n in the optical beam path related to the neutral gas temperature of the plasma jet can be monitored and evaluated simultaneously. The refraction of a laser beam in a high gradient field of n(r) with cylindrical symmetry is given for a general real refraction index profile. However, the usually applied Abel approach represents an ill-posed problem and in particular for this plasma configuration. A simple analytical model is proposed in order to minimize the statistical error. Based on that, the temperature profile, specifically the absolute temperature in the filament core, the FWHM, and the frequencies of the collective filament dynamics are obtained for non-stationary conditions. For a gas temperature of 700 K inside the filament, the presented model predicts maximum deflection angles of the laser beam of 0.3 mrad which is in accordance to the experimental results obtained with LSD. Furthermore, the experimentally obtained FWHM of the temperature profile produced by the filament at the end of capillary is (1.5 ± 0.2) mm, which is about 10 times wider than the visual radius of the filament. The obtained maximum temperature in the effluent is (450 ± 30) K and is in consistence with results of other techniques. The study demonstrates that LSD represents a useful low-cost method for monitoring the spatiotemporal behaviour of microdischarges and allows to uncover their dynamic characteristics, e.g., the temperature profile even for challenging diagnostic conditions such as moving thin discharge filaments. The method is not restricted to the miniaturized and self-organized plasma studied here. Instead, it can be readily applied to other configurations that produce measurable

Laser schlieren deflectometry for temperature analysis of filamentary non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schaefer, J.; Foest, R.; Reuter, S.; Weltmann, K.-D. [INP Greifswald, Felix-Hausdorff-Str. 2, 17489 Greifswald (Germany); Kewitz, T. [Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics, University Kiel, 24098 Kiel (Germany); Sperka, J. [Department of Physical Electronics, Masaryk University, 61137 Brno (Czech Republic)

2012-10-15

The heat convection generated by micro filaments of a self-organized non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma jet in Ar is characterized by employing laser schlieren deflectometry (LSD). It is demonstrated as a proof of principle, that the spatial and temporal changes of the refractive index n in the optical beam path related to the neutral gas temperature of the plasma jet can be monitored and evaluated simultaneously. The refraction of a laser beam in a high gradient field of n(r) with cylindrical symmetry is given for a general real refraction index profile. However, the usually applied Abel approach represents an ill-posed problem and in particular for this plasma configuration. A simple analytical model is proposed in order to minimize the statistical error. Based on that, the temperature profile, specifically the absolute temperature in the filament core, the FWHM, and the frequencies of the collective filament dynamics are obtained for non-stationary conditions. For a gas temperature of 700 K inside the filament, the presented model predicts maximum deflection angles of the laser beam of 0.3 mrad which is in accordance to the experimental results obtained with LSD. Furthermore, the experimentally obtained FWHM of the temperature profile produced by the filament at the end of capillary is (1.5 {+-} 0.2) mm, which is about 10 times wider than the visual radius of the filament. The obtained maximum temperature in the effluent is (450 {+-} 30) K and is in consistence with results of other techniques. The study demonstrates that LSD represents a useful low-cost method for monitoring the spatiotemporal behaviour of microdischarges and allows to uncover their dynamic characteristics, e.g., the temperature profile even for challenging diagnostic conditions such as moving thin discharge filaments. The method is not restricted to the miniaturized and self-organized plasma studied here. Instead, it can be readily applied to other configurations that produce measurable

Self-organization of dissipative and coherent vortex structures in non-equilibrium magnetized two-dimensional plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bystrenko, O; Bystrenko, T

2010-01-01

The properties of non-equilibrium magnetized plasmas confined in planar geometry are studied on the basis of first-principle microscopic Langevin dynamics computer simulations. The non-equilibrium state of plasmas is maintained due to the recombination and generation of charges. The intrinsic microscopic structure of non-equilibrium steady-state magnetized plasmas, in particular the inter-particle correlations and self-organization of vortex structures, are examined. The simulations have been performed for a wide range of parameters including strong plasma coupling, high charge recombination and generation rates and intense magnetic field. As is shown in simulations, the non-equilibrium recombination and generation processes trigger the formation of ordered dissipative or coherent drift vortex states in 2D plasmas with distinctly spatially separated components, which are far from thermal equilibrium. This is evident from the unusual properties of binary distributions and behavior of the Coulomb energy of the system, which turn out to be quite different from the ones typical for the equilibrium state of plasmas under the same conditions.

Industrial implementation of plasma deposition using the expanding thermal plasma technique

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sanden, van de M.C.M.; Oever, van den P.J.; Creatore, M.; Schaepkens, M.; Miebach, T.; Iacovangelo, C.D.; Bosch, R.C.M.; Bijker, M.D.; Evers, M.F.J.; Schram, D.C.; Kessels, W.M.M.

2004-01-01

Two successful industrial implementations of the expanding thermal plasma setup, a novel plasma source, obtaining high deposition rate are discussed. The Ar/O2/hexamethyldisiloxane and Ar/O2/octamethyl-cyclosiloxane-fed expanding thermal plasma setup is used to deposit scratch resistant silicone

Non-thermal plasma at atmospheric pressure for ozone generation and volatile organic compounds decomposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pekarek, S.; Khun, J.

2006-01-01

The non-thermal plasma technologies based on electrical discharges play an important role in ecological applications. The classical corona discharge is however relatively low power discharge. With the aim to extend its current-voltage range we studied hollow needle-to-plate DC corona discharge enhanced by the flow of a gas through the needle electrode. With this type of the discharge we performed an extensive study of ozone generation and volatile organic compounds decomposition. We found that supply of air through the needle substantially increases current-voltage range of the discharge in comparison with classical pin-to-plate corona discharge. Consequently the ozone generation as well as toluene decomposition efficiency was increased (Authors)

Numerical Analysis on Thermal Non-Equilibrium Process of Laser-Supported Detonation Wave in Axisymmetric Nozzle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shiraishi, Hiroyuki

2008-01-01

Numerical Analyses on Laser-Supported Plasma (LSP) have been performed for researching the mechanism of laser absorption occurring in the laser propulsion system. Above all, Laser-Supported Detonation (LSD), categorized as one type of LSP, is considered as one of the most important phenomena because it can generate high pressure and high temperature for performing highly effective propulsion. For simulating generation and propagation of LSD wave, I have performed thermal non-equilibrium analyses by Navier-stokes equations, using a CO 2 gasdynamic laser into an inert gas, where the most important laser absorption mechanism for LSD propagation is Inverse Bremsstrahlung. As a numerical method, TVD scheme taken into account of real gas effects and thermal non-equilibrium effects by using a 2-temperature model, is applied. In this study, I analyze a LSD wave propagating through a conical nozzle, where an inner space of an actual laser propulsion system is simplified

Thermal plasma synthesis of Fe1−xNix alloy nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raut, Suyog A.; Kanhe, Nilesh S.; Bhoraskar, S. V.; Mathe, V. L.; Das, A. K.

2014-01-01

Fe-Ni alloy nanoparticles are of great interest because of diverse practical applications in the fields such as magnetic fluids, high density recording media, catalysis and medicine. We report the synthesis of Fe-Ni nanoparticles via thermal plasma route. Thermal plasma assisted synthesis is a high temperature process and gives high yields of production. Here, we have used direct arc thermal plasma plume of 6kw as a source of energy at operating pressure 500 Torr. The mixture of Fe-Ni powder in required proportion (Fe 1−x Ni x ; x=0.30, 0.32, 0.34, 0.36, 0.38 and 0.40) was made to evaporate simultaneously from the graphite anode in thermal plasma reactor to form Fe-Ni bimetallic nanoparticles. The as synthesized particles were characterized by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Thermo-Gravimetric Analysis/Differential Scanning Calorimtry (TGA/DSC)

Theoretical investigation of thermophysical properties in two-temperature argon-helium thermal plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, Rohit; Singh, Kuldip; Singh, Gurpreet

2011-01-01

The thermophysical properties of argon-helium thermal plasma have been studied in the temperature range from 5000 to 40 000 K at atmospheric pressure in local thermodynamic equilibrium and non-local thermodynamic equilibrium conditions. Two cases of thermal plasma considered are (i) ground state plasma in which all the atoms and ions are assumed to be in the ground state and (ii) excited state plasma in which atoms and ions are distributed over various possible excited states. The influence of electronic excitation and non-equilibrium parameter θ = T e /T h on thermodynamic properties (composition, degree of ionization, Debye length, enthalpy, and total specific heat) and transport properties (electrical conductivity, electron thermal conductivity, and thermal diffusion ratio) have been studied. Within the framework of Chapman-Enskog method, the higher-order contributions to transport coefficient and their convergence are studied. The influence of different molar compositions of argon-helium plasma mixture on convergence of higher-orders is investigated. Furthermore, the effect of different definitions of Debye length has also been examined for electrical conductivity and it is observed that electrical conductivity with the definition of Debye length (in which only electrons participate in screening) is less than that of the another definition (in which both the electrons and ions participate in screening) and this deviation increases with electron temperature. Finally, the effect of lowering of ionization energy is examined on electron number density, Debye length, and higher-order contribution to electrical conductivity. It is observed that the lowering of the ionization energy affects the electron transport-properties and consequently their higher-order contributions depending upon the value of the non-equilibrium parameter θ.

Non-thermal particle acceleration in collisionless relativistic electron-proton reconnection

Science.gov (United States)

Werner, G. R.; Uzdensky, D. A.; Begelman, M. C.; Cerutti, B.; Nalewajko, K.

2018-02-01

Magnetic reconnection in relativistic collisionless plasmas can accelerate particles and power high-energy emission in various astrophysical systems. Whereas most previous studies focused on relativistic reconnection in pair plasmas, less attention has been paid to electron-ion plasma reconnection, expected in black hole accretion flows and relativistic jets. We report a comprehensive particle-in-cell numerical investigation of reconnection in an electron-ion plasma, spanning a wide range of ambient ion magnetizations σi, from the semirelativistic regime (ultrarelativistic electrons but non-relativistic ions, 10-3 ≪ σi ≪ 1) to the fully relativistic regime (both species are ultrarelativistic, σi ≫ 1). We investigate how the reconnection rate, electron and ion plasma flows, electric and magnetic field structures, electron/ion energy partitioning, and non-thermal particle acceleration depend on σi. Our key findings are: (1) the reconnection rate is about 0.1 of the Alfvénic rate across all regimes; (2) electrons can form concentrated moderately relativistic outflows even in the semirelativistic, small-σi regime; (3) while the released magnetic energy is partitioned equally between electrons and ions in the ultrarelativistic limit, the electron energy fraction declines gradually with decreased σi and asymptotes to about 0.25 in the semirelativistic regime; and (4) reconnection leads to efficient non-thermal electron acceleration with a σi-dependent power-law index, p(σ _i)˜eq const+0.7σ _i^{-1/2}. These findings are important for understanding black hole systems and lend support to semirelativistic reconnection models for powering non-thermal emission in blazar jets, offering a natural explanation for the spectral indices observed in these systems.

Suitability of thermal plasmas for large-area bacteria inactivation on temperature-sensitive surfaces – first results with Geobacillus stearothermophilus spores

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Szulc, M; Schein, S; Schaup, J; Zimmermann, S; Schein, J

2017-01-01

The application of thermal plasma for large-area bacteria inactivation on temperature-sensitive surfaces is not a common one. Nonetheless, there are thermal plasma generators which offer a high sheath homogeneity and have proven to be suitable for treatment of thermally sensitive materials in the past. To investigate the suitability of such plasmas, agar dishes plated with endospores of Geobacillus stearothermophilus have been treated with a long arc plasma generator called LARGE. The achieved results have been compared with a commercially available non-thermal plasma generator. A significant inactivation of the endospores could be observed only after 60 s of treatment with the thermal plasma source. This was not possible with the non-thermal generator. Moreover, no temperature damage or increase of the specimen could be detected. An attempt to determine the main agents responsible for the microbicidal effects have been made – the influence of plasma gas composition, discharge current and treatment time has been investigated. Significant improvements in the disinfection rates after adding small amounts of nitrogen to the plasma gas could be observed. A first discussion regarding the suitability of thermal plasmas for bacteria inactivation has been given. (paper)

Nonideal plasmas as non-equilibrium media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morozov, I V; Norman, G E; Valuev, A A; Valuev, I A

2003-01-01

Various aspects of the collective behaviour of non-equilibrium nonideal plasmas are studied. The relaxation of kinetic energy to the equilibrium state is simulated by the molecular dynamics (MD) method for two-component non-degenerate strongly non-equilibrium plasmas. The initial non-exponential stage, its duration and the subsequent exponential stage of the relaxation process are studied for a wide range of ion charge, nonideality parameter and ion mass. A simulation model of the nonideal plasma excited by an electron beam is proposed. An approach is developed to calculate the dynamic structure factor in non-stationary conditions. Instability increment is obtained from MD simulations

Analysis of the flow structure of a turbulent thermal plasma jet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spores, R.A.

1989-01-01

The goal of this research project is to attain a better understanding of the fluid mechanics associated with the high temperature jet of a thermal plasma torch. The analysis of a plasma, which has the ability to vaporize anything placed inside it without proper cooling, presents a unique research challenge. Several types of non-intrusive diagnostic techniques has been used to examine the jet from different perspectives. To actually map out the mean gas velocities and turbulence intensities throughout the jet, laser Doppler anemometry has been employed. The plasma gas and entrained air him been seeded separately in order to conditionally sample the two fluids and attain information about the gas mixing process. Both radial and axial turbulence levels have been measured in order to analyze the non-isotropic nature of the jet. A parabolic numerical code has been modified and compared with the obtained experimental results. A new diagnostic technique for plasma torches, which involves the spectral analysis of voltage, optical (temperature), and acoustical (pressure) fluctuations, has been implemented. The acoustical spectrum can provide information about the existence of coherent structures in the flow while the cross correlation of the acoustical signal with the voltage fluctuations can tell one to what extent perturbations of the internal arc affect the external flow. Since temperature is a scalar that is dependent on the flow field, observing temperature fluctuations can likewise help one to understand the mechanics of the flow. Flow visualization of the plasma jet using a high speed video camera has also been undertaken in order to better understand the entrainment process

An investigation of the treatment of particulate matter from gasoline engine exhaust using non-thermal plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ye Dan; Gao Dengshan; Yu Gang; Shen Xianglin; Gu Fan

2005-01-01

A plasma reactor with catalysts was used to treat exhaust gas from a gasoline engine in order to decrease particulate matter (PM) emissions. The effect of non-thermal plasma (NTP) of the dielectric discharges on the removal of PM from the exhaust gas was investigated experimentally. The removal efficiency of PM was based on the concentration difference in PM for particle diameters ranging from 0.3 to 5.0 μm as measured by a particle counter. Several factors affecting PM conversion, including the density of plasma energy, reaction temperature, flow rate of exhaust gas, were investigated in the experiment. The results indicate that PM removal efficiency ranged approximately from 25 to 57% and increased with increasing energy input in the reactor, reaction temperature and residence time of the exhaust gas in the reactor. Enhanced removal of the PM was achieved by filling the discharge gap of the reactor with Cu-ZSM-5 catalyst pellets. In addition, the removal of unburned hydrocarbons was studied. Finally, available approaches for PM conversion were analyzed involving the interactions between discharge and catalytic reactions

Application of non-thermal plasma reactor for degradation and detoxification of high concentrations of dye Reactive Black 5 in water

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dojčinović Biljana P.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Degradation and detoxification efficiency of high concentrations of commercially available reactive textile dye Reactive Black 5 solution (40, 80, 200, 500, 1000 mg L-1, were studied. Advanced oxidation processes in water falling film based dielectric barrier discharge as a non-thermal plasma reactor were used. For the first time, this reactor was used for the treatment of high concentrations of organic pollutants such as reactive textile dye Reactive Black 5 in water. Solution of the dye is treated by plasma as thin water solution film that is constantly regenerated. Basically, the reactor works as a continuous flow reactor and the electrical discharge itself takes place at the gas-liquid interphase. The dye solution was recirculated through the reactor with an applied energy density of 0-374 kJ L-1. Decolorization efficiency (% was monitored by UV-VIS spectrophotometric technique. Samples were taken after every recirculation (~ 22 kJ L-1 and decolorization percent was measured after 5 min and 24 h of plasma treatment. The efficiency of degradation (i.e. mineralization and possible degradation products were also tracked by determination of the chemical oxygen demand (COD and by ion chromatography (IC. Initial toxicity and toxicity of solutions after the treatment were studied with Artemia salina test organisms. Efficiency of decolorization decreased with the increase of the dye concentration. Complete decolorization, high mineralization and non-toxicity of the solution (<10 % were acomplished after plasma treatment using energy density of 242 kJ L-1, while the initial concentrations of Reactive Black 5 were 40 and 80 mg L-1. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 172030 i br. 171034

Thermodynamic analysis of thermal plasma process of composite zirconium carbide and silicon carbide production from zircon concentrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kostic, Z.G.; Stefanovic, P.Lj.; Pavlovic; Pavlovic, Z.N.; Zivkovic, N.V.

2000-01-01

Improved zirconium ceramics and composites have been invented in an effort to obtain better resistance to ablation at high temperature. These ceramics are suitable for use as thermal protection materials on the exterior surfaces of spacecraft, and in laboratory and industrial environments that include flows of hot oxidizing gases. Results of thermodynamic consideration of the process for composite zirconium carbide and silicon carbide ultrafine powder production from ZrSiO 4 in argon thermal plasma and propane-butane gas as reactive quenching reagents are presented in the paper. (author)

Kinetic study on non-thermal volumetric plasma decay in the early afterglow of air discharge generated by a short pulse microwave or laser

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, Wei, E-mail: yangwei861212@126.com; Zhou, Qianhong; Dong, Zhiwei [Institute of Applied Physics and Computational Mathematics, Beijing 100094 (China)

2016-08-28

This paper reports a kinetic study on non-thermal plasma decay in the early afterglow of air discharge generated by short pulse microwave or laser. A global self-consistent model is based on the particle balance of complex plasma chemistry, electron energy equation, and gas thermal balance equation. Electron-ion Coulomb collision is included in the steady state Boltzmann equation solver to accurately describe the electron mobility and other transport coefficients. The model is used to simulate the afterglow of microsecond to nanosecond pulse microwave discharge in N{sub 2}, O{sub 2}, and air, as well as femtosecond laser filament discharge in dry and humid air. The simulated results for electron density decay are in quantitative agreement with the available measured ones. The evolution of plasma decay under an external electric field is also investigated, and the effect of gas heating is considered. The underlying mechanism of plasma density decay is unveiled through the above kinetic modeling.

Non-Thermal Plasma (NTP) session overview: Second International Symposium on Environmental Applications of Advanced Oxidation Technologies (AOTs)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosocha, L.A.

1996-01-01

Advanced Oxidation Technologies (used in pollution control and treating hazardous wastes) has expanded from using hydroxyl radicals to treat organic compounds in water, to using reductive free radicals as well, and to application to pollutants in both gases and aqueous media. Non-Thermal Plasma (NTP) is created in a gas by an electrical discharge or energetic electron injection. Highly reactive species (O atoms, OH, N radicals, plasma electrons) react with entrained hazardous organic chemicals in the gas, converting them to CO2, H2O, etc. NTP can be used to simultaneously remove different kinds of pollutants (eg, VOCs, SOx, NOx in flue gases). This paper presents an overview of NTP technology for pollution control and hazardous waste treatment; it is intended as an introduction to the NTP session of the symposium

Microstructural Effects and Properties of Non-line-of-Sight Coating Processing via Plasma Spray-Physical Vapor Deposition

Science.gov (United States)

Harder, Bryan J.; Zhu, Dongming; Schmitt, Michael P.; Wolfe, Douglas E.

2017-08-01

Plasma spray-physical vapor deposition (PS-PVD) is a unique processing method that bridges the gap between conventional thermal spray and vapor phase methods, and enables highly tailorable coatings composed of a variety of materials in thin, dense layers or columnar microstructures with modification of the processing conditions. The strengths of this processing technique are material and microstructural flexibility, deposition speed, and potential for non-line-of-sight (NLOS) capability by vaporization of the feedstock material. The NLOS capability of PS-PVD is investigated here using yttria-stabilized zirconia and gadolinium zirconate, which are materials of interest for turbine engine applications. PS-PVD coatings were applied to static cylindrical substrates approximately 6-19 mm in diameter to study the coating morphology as a function of angle. In addition, coatings were deposited on flat substrates under various impingement configurations. Impingement angle had significant effects on the deposition mode, and microscopy of coatings indicated that there was a shift in the deposition mode at approximately 90° from incidence on the cylindrical samples, which may indicate the onset of more turbulent flow and PVD-like growth. Coatings deposited at non-perpendicular angles exhibited a higher density and nearly a 2× improvement in erosion performance when compared to coatings deposited with the torch normal to the surface.

Frontier of plasma physics. 'Research network on non-equilibrium and extreme state plasmas'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Itoh, Sanae-I.; Fujisawa, Akihide; Kodama, Ryosuke; Sato, Motoyasu; Tanaka, Kazuo A.; Hatakeyama, Rikizo; Itoh, Kimitaka

2011-01-01

Plasma physics and fusion science have been applied to a wide variety of plasmas such as nuclear fusion plasmas, high-energy-density plasmas, processing plasmas and nanobio- plasmas. They are pioneering science and technology frontiers such as new energy sources and new functional materials. A large project 'research network on non-equilibrium and extreme state plasmas' is being proposed to reassess individual plasma researches from a common view of the non-equilibrium extreme plasma and to promote collaboration among plasma researchers all over the country. In the present review, recent collaborative works related to this project are being introduced. (T.I.)

Thermal equilibrium of pure electron plasmas across a central region of magnetic surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Hahn, Michael; Pedersen, Thomas Sunn

2009-06-01

Measurements of the equilibria of plasmas created by emission from a biased filament located off the magnetic axis in the Columbia Non-neutral Torus (CNT) [T. S. Pedersen, J. P. Kremer, R. G. Lefrancois et al., Fusion Sci. Technol. 50, 372 (2006)] show that such plasmas have equilibrium properties consistent with the inner surfaces being in a state of cross-surface thermal equilibrium. Numerical solutions to the equilibrium equation were used to fit the experimental data and demonstrate consistency with cross-surface thermal equilibrium. Previous experiments in CNT showed that constant temperatures across magnetic surfaces are characteristic of CNT plasmas, implying thermal confinement times much less than particle confinement times. These results show that when emitting off axis there is a volume of inner surfaces where diffusion into that region is balanced by outward transport, producing a Boltzmann distribution of electrons. When combined with the low thermal energy confinement time this is a cross-surface thermal equilibrium.

Thermal equilibrium of pure electron plasmas across a central region of magnetic surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hahn, Michael; Pedersen, Thomas Sunn

2009-01-01

Measurements of the equilibria of plasmas created by emission from a biased filament located off the magnetic axis in the Columbia Non-neutral Torus (CNT) [T. S. Pedersen, J. P. Kremer, R. G. Lefrancois et al., Fusion Sci. Technol. 50, 372 (2006)] show that such plasmas have equilibrium properties consistent with the inner surfaces being in a state of cross-surface thermal equilibrium. Numerical solutions to the equilibrium equation were used to fit the experimental data and demonstrate consistency with cross-surface thermal equilibrium. Previous experiments in CNT showed that constant temperatures across magnetic surfaces are characteristic of CNT plasmas, implying thermal confinement times much less than particle confinement times. These results show that when emitting off axis there is a volume of inner surfaces where diffusion into that region is balanced by outward transport, producing a Boltzmann distribution of electrons. When combined with the low thermal energy confinement time this is a cross-surface thermal equilibrium.

Non Equilbrium Vibrational Kinetics in Expanding Plasma Flows

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Colonna, Gianpiero

2008-01-01

The supersonic expansion of a plasma is a system of interest for aerospace applications, ranging from propulsion to hypersonic wind tunnels. Under these conditions the plasma shows significant departures from chemical and thermal equilibrium, similarly to post-discharge conditions. The multitemperature description is not adequate because the internal level distributions show tails overpopulated with respect to a Boltzmann distribution. The state-to-state approach has to be used, including the interaction with free electrons which follow non-maxwellian distributions.

Investigation of atmospheric pressure capillary non-thermal plasmas and their applications to the degradation of volatile organic compounds

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Shu-Min

Atmospheric pressure capillary non-thermal plasma (AP-CNTP) has been investigated as a potential technology far the removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in Advanced Life Support Systems (ALS). AP-CNTP is a destructive technology far the removal of VOCs from air streams by active plasma species, such as electrons, ions, and excited molecules. Complete VOC destruction ideally results in the formation of water, carbon dioxide (CO2), and other by-product's may also form, including ozone (O3), nitrous oxide (N2O), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and decomposed hydrocarbons. Several organic compounds, such as BTEX, ethylene, n-heptane, isooctane, methanol and NH3, were tested in an AP-CNTP system. Parametric experiments were carried out by varying plasma discharge power, flowrates, and initial concentrations. The degradation efficiency varied depending on the chemical nature of the compounds. A plasmochemical kinetic model was derived for toluene, ethylbenzene, and m-xylene and n-heptane.

Rapid thermal processing and beyond applications in semiconductor processing

CERN Document Server

Lerch, W

2008-01-01

Heat-treatment and thermal annealing are very common processing steps which have been employed during semiconductor manufacturing right from the beginning of integrated circuit technology. In order to minimize undesired diffusion, and other thermal budget-dependent effects, the trend has been to reduce the annealing time sharply by switching from standard furnace batch-processing (involving several hours or even days), to rapid thermal processing involving soaking times of just a few seconds. This transition from thermal equilibrium, to highly non-equilibrium, processing was very challenging a

Initial damage processes for diamond film exposure to hydrogen plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deslandes, A.; Guenette, M.C.; Samuell, C.M.; Karatchevtseva, I.; Ionescu, M.; Cohen, D.D.; Blackwell, B.; Corr, C.; Riley, D.P.

2013-01-01

Graphical abstract: -- Highlights: • Exposing chemical vapour deposited (CVD) diamond films in a recently constructed device, MAGPIE, specially commissioned to simulate fusion plasma conditions. • Non-diamond material is etched from the diamond. • There is no hydrogen retention observed, which suggests diamond is an excellent candidate for plasma facing materials. • Final structure of the surface is dependent on synergistic effects of etching and ion-induced structural change. -- Abstract: Diamond is considered to be a possible alternative to other carbon based materials as a plasma facing material in nuclear fusion devices due to its high thermal conductivity and resistance to chemical erosion. In this work CVD diamond films were exposed to hydrogen plasma in the MAGnetized Plasma Interaction Experiment (MAGPIE): a linear plasma device at the Australian National University which simulates plasma conditions relevant to nuclear fusion. Various negative sample stage biases of magnitude less than 500 V were applied to control the energies of impinging ions. Characterisation results from SEM, Raman spectroscopy and ERDA are presented. No measureable quantity of hydrogen retention was observed, this is either due to no incorporation of hydrogen into the diamond structure or due to initial incorporation as a hydrocarbon followed by subsequent etching back into the plasma. A model is presented for the initial stages of diamond erosion in fusion relevant hydrogen plasma that involves chemical erosion of non-diamond material from the surface by hydrogen radicals and damage to the subsurface region from energetic hydrogen ions. These results show that the initial damage processes in this plasma regime are comparable to previous studies of the fundamental processes as reported for less extreme plasma such as in the development of diamond films

Gaseous material capacity of open plasma jet in plasma spray-physical vapor deposition process

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Mei-Jun; Zhang, Meng; Zhang, Qiang; Yang, Guan-Jun; Li, Cheng-Xin; Li, Chang-Jiu

2018-01-01

Plasma spray-physical vapor deposition (PS-PVD) process, emerging as a highly efficient hybrid approach, is based on two powerful technologies of both plasma spray and physical vapor deposition. The maximum production rate is affected by the material feed rate apparently, but it is determined by the material vapor capacity of transporting plasma actually and essentially. In order to realize high production rate, the gaseous material capacity of plasma jet must be fundamentally understood. In this study, the thermal characteristics of plasma were measured by optical emission spectrometry. The results show that the open plasma jet is in the local thermal equilibrium due to a typical electron number density from 2.1 × 1015 to 3.1 × 1015 cm-3. In this condition, the temperature of gaseous zirconia can be equal to the plasma temperature. A model was developed to obtain the vapor pressure of gaseous ZrO2 molecules as a two dimensional map of jet axis and radial position corresponding to different average plasma temperatures. The overall gaseous material capacity of open plasma jet, take zirconia for example, was further established. This approach on evaluating material capacity in plasma jet would shed light on the process optimization towards both depositing columnar coating and a high production rate of PS-PVD.

Thermal Conductivity Analysis and Lifetime Testing of Suspension Plasma-Sprayed Thermal Barrier Coatings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicholas Curry

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Suspension plasma spraying (SPS has become an interesting method for the production of thermal barrier coatings for gas turbine components. The development of the SPS process has led to structures with segmented vertical cracks or column-like structures that can imitate strain-tolerant air plasma spraying (APS or electron beam physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD coatings. Additionally, SPS coatings can have lower thermal conductivity than EB-PVD coatings, while also being easier to produce. The combination of similar or improved properties with a potential for lower production costs makes SPS of great interest to the gas turbine industry. This study compares a number of SPS thermal barrier coatings (TBCs with vertical cracks or column-like structures with the reference of segmented APS coatings. The primary focus has been on lifetime testing of these new coating systems. Samples were tested in thermo-cyclic fatigue at temperatures of 1100 °C for 1 h cycles. Additional testing was performed to assess thermal shock performance and erosion resistance. Thermal conductivity was also assessed for samples in their as-sprayed state, and the microstructures were investigated using SEM.

Cyclotron radiation from thermal and non-thermal electrons in the WEGA-stellarator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piekaar, H.W.; Rutgers, W.R.

1980-11-01

Electron cyclotron radiation measurements on the WEGA-stellarator are reported. Emission spectra around 2ωsub(ce) and 3ωsub(ce) were measured with a far-infra-red spectrometer and InSb detectors. When the plasma loop voltage is high, runaway electrons give rise to intense broad-band emission. Runaway particles can be removed by increasing the plasma density. For low loop voltage discharges the electron temperature profile was deduced from thermal emission around 2ωsub(ce). In spite of the low E-field, runaway particles are still created and pitch-angle scattered because ωsub(pe)/ωsub(ce) approximately 1. From non-thermal emission below 2ωsub(ce) and 3ωsub(ce) the energy and number of particles could be calculated, and was found to be in agreement with existing theories

Effects of plasma jet parameters, ionization, thermal conduction, and radiation on stagnation conditions of an imploding plasma liner

Science.gov (United States)

Stanic, Milos

The disciplines of High Energy Density Physics (HEDP) and Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) are characterized by hypervelocity implosions and strong shocks. The Plasma Liner Experiment (PLX) is focused on reaching HEDP and/or ICF relevant regimes in excess of 1 Mbar peak pressure by the merging and implosion of discrete plasma jets, as a potentially efficient path towards these extreme conditions in a laboratory. In this work we have presented the first 3D simulations of plasma liner, formation, and implosion by the merging of discrete plasma jets in which ionization, thermal conduction, and radiation are all included in the physics model. The study was conducted by utilizing a smoothed particle hydrodynamics code (SPHC) and was a part of the plasma liner experiment (PLX). The salient physics processes of liner formation and implosion are studied, namely vacuum propagation of plasma jets, merging of the jets (liner forming), implosion (liner collapsing), stagnation (peak pressure), and expansion (rarefaction wave disassembling the target). Radiative transport was found to significantly reduce the temperature of the liner during implosion, thus reducing the thermal expansion rates and leaving more pronounced gradients in the plasma liner during the implosion compared with ideal hydrodynamic simulations. These pronounced gradients lead to a greater sensitivity of initial jet geometry and symmetry on peak pressures obtained. Accounting for ionization and transport, many cases gave higher peak pressures than the ideal hydrodynamic simulations. Scaling laws were developed accordingly, creating a non-dimensional parameter space in which performance of an imploding plasma jet liner can be estimated. It is shown that HEDP regimes could be reached with ≈ 5 MJ of liner energy, which would translate to roughly 10 to 20 MJ of stored (capacitor) energy. This is a potentially significant improvement over the currently available means via ICF of achieving HEDP and nuclear

Study of non inductive current generation in a plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rax, J.M.

1987-01-01

The problem of non-thermal bremsstrahlung during lower hybrid current drive is considered. The proposed method shows the role of the Compton effects at low frequencies and allows us to establish the link between the emitted power and the absorbed power at high frequency. The non-thermal emission is considered as a kinematical mode conversion between the absorbed radio-frequency mode and the emitted X ray photons. The fast electrons diagnostics and the ways to reach the wave structure are shown. Kinetic and electromagnetic problems concerning current generation are described. The plasma properties and diagnostics in the case of a non inductive current generation are discussed [fr

Plasma Technologies of Solid Fuels Processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karpenko, E.I.; Messerle, V.E.; Ustimenko, A.

2003-01-01

Use of fuel processing plasma technologies improves ecological and economical indexes of low-grade coal utilization at thermal power plants. This paper presents experimental plasma plant 70 k W of power and 11 kg per hour of coal productivity. On the base of material and heat balances integral indexes of the process of plasma gasification of Podmoskovny brown coal 48% of ash content were found. Synthesis gas with concentration 85.2% was got. Hydrogen concentration in the synthesis gas was higher than carbon monoxide one. Ratio H 2 :CO in synthesis gas was 1.4-1.5. It was shown that steam consumption and temperature of the process increase causes H 2 concentration and coal gasification degree increase. Fulfilled experiments and comparison of their result with theoretical investigations allowed creating pilot experimental plant for plasma processing of low-grade coals. The power of the pilot plant is 1000 k W and coal productivity is 300 kg/h. (author)

Time-resolved investigations of the non-thermal ablation process of graphite induced by femtosecond laser pulses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kalupka, C., E-mail: christian.kalupka@llt.rwth-aachen.de; Finger, J. [Chair for Laser Technology LLT, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen 52074 (Germany); Reininghaus, M. [Chair for Laser Technology LLT, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen 52074 (Germany); Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT, Steinbachstraße 15, Aachen 52074 (Germany)

2016-04-21

We report on the in-situ analysis of the ablation dynamics of the, so-called, laser induced non-thermal ablation process of graphite. A highly oriented pyrolytic graphite is excited by femtosecond laser pulses with fluences below the classic thermal ablation threshold. The ablation dynamics are investigated by axial pump-probe reflection measurements, transversal pump-probe shadowgraphy, and time-resolved transversal emission photography. The combination of the applied analysis methods allows for a continuous and detailed time-resolved observation of the non-thermal ablation dynamics from several picoseconds up to 180 ns. Formation of large, μm-sized particles takes place within the first 3.5 ns after irradiation. The following propagation of ablation products and the shock wave front are tracked by transversal shadowgraphy up to 16 ns. The comparison of ablation dynamics of different fluences by emission photography reveals thermal ablation products even for non-thermal fluences.

Use of residual hydrocarbons treated by Thermal Plasma (recovery of energy by-products)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carreno B, J.A.; Pacheco S, J.O.; Ramos F, F.; Cruz A, A.; Duran G, M.

2001-01-01

The emergence of new technologies is getting greater importance for the control of pollution. One of them is the destruction of hazardous wastes treated by thermal plasma, which is of special interest for the efficient treatment of the hazardous wastes since the heat generated by thermal plasma is able to destroy the molecular bonds generating solids and gaseous products which do not represent danger for the human being and the environment. The thermal plasma is the suitable technology for treating a wide range of hazardous wastes, including the residual hydrocarbons from the refinement process of petroleum, plasma exceeds the barrier of 3000 Centigrade. The efficiency of the degradation of residues is greater than 99.99%. Toxic emissions are not generated to environment as SO 2 , NO x and CO 2 neither dioxins and furans by being a pyrolysis process. The use of hydrogen as fuel does not generate pollution to environment. (Author)

14th High-Tech Plasma Processes Conference (HTPP 14)

Science.gov (United States)

2017-04-01

Preface The High-Tech Plasma Processes Conference (HTPP) is a bi-annual international conference based in Europe with topics encompassing the whole area of plasma processing science. This conference is open to all the international community in the world involved in plasma science and plasma technology. The aim of the conference is to bring different scientific communities together, facilitate the contacts between science, technology and industry and provide a platform for the exploration of both fundamental topics and new applications of plasmas. For this edition of HTPP, as was the case for the last, we have achieved a well balanced participation from the communities of both thermal and non-thermal plasma researchers. 75 people from 17 countries attended the conference with the total number of contributions being 74, consisting of 19 invited talks and 55 poster contributions. As a HTPP tradition a poster competition has been carried out during the conference. The winner of the poster competition was Fabrice Mavier from Université de Limoges, France with his paper “Pulsed arc plasma jet synchronized with drop-on-demand dispenser” All the participants also ejoyed the social program including an “unconventional” tour of the city, the visit to the famous Hofbräuhaus and the dinner at the Blutenburg, a beautiful inner-city castle. We have received papers corresponding to the contributions of HTPP-2014 that have been submitted for publication in this volume of Journal of Physics: Conference Series. Each submitted contribution has been peer reviewed and the Editors are very grateful to the referees for their careful support in improving the original manuscripts. In total, 18 manuscripts have been accepted for publication covering a range of topics of plasma processing science from plasma fundamentals to process applications through to experiments, diagnostics and modelling. We deeply thank the authors for their enthusiastic and high-grade contributions and we

Electrostatic double layers and a plasma evacuation process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raadu, M.A.; Carlqvist, P.

1979-12-01

An evacuation process due to the growth of current driven instabilities in a plasma is discussed. The process, which leads to localized extreme density reductions, is related to the formation of electrostatic double layers. The initial linear phase is treated using the superposition of unstable plasma waves. In the long wave length, non-dispersive limit a density dip, which is initially present as a small disturbance, grows rapidly and remains localized in the plasma. The process works for a variety of plasma conditions provided a certain current density is exceeded. For a particular choice of plasma parameters the non-linear development is followed, by solving the coupled Vlasov-Poisson equations by finite difference methods. The evacuation process is found to work even more effectively in the non-linear phase and leads to an extreme density reduction within the dip. It is suggested that the growth of such structures produces weak points within the plasma that can lead to the formation of double layers. (Auth.)

Fructooligosaccharides integrity after atmospheric cold plasma and high-pressure processing of a functional orange juice.

Science.gov (United States)

Almeida, Francisca Diva Lima; Gomes, Wesley Faria; Cavalcante, Rosane Souza; Tiwari, Brijesh K; Cullen, Patrick J; Frias, Jesus Maria; Bourke, Paula; Fernandes, Fabiano A N; Rodrigues, Sueli

2017-12-01

In this study, the effect of atmospheric pressure cold plasma and high-pressure processing on the prebiotic orange juice was evaluated. Orange juice containing 7g/100g of commercial fructooligosaccharides (FOS) was directly and indirectly exposed to a plasma discharge at 70kV with processing times of 15, 30, 45 and 60s. For high-pressure processing, the juice containing the same concentration of FOS was treated at 450MPa for 5min at 11.5°C in an industrial equipment (Hyperbaric, model: 300). After the treatments, the fructooligosaccharides were qualified and quantified by thin layer chromatography. The organic acids and color analysis were also evaluated. The maximal overall fructooligosaccharides degradation was found after high-pressure processing. The total color difference was pressure and plasma processing. citric and ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) showed increased content after plasma and high-pressure treatment. Thus, atmospheric pressure cold plasma and high-pressure processing can be used as non-thermal alternatives to process prebiotic orange juice. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Galaxy Cluster Outskirts from the Thermal SZ and Non-Thermal Synchrotron Link

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Kaustuv Basu

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Galaxy cluster merger shocks are the main agent for the thermalization of the intracluster medium and the energization of cosmic ray particles in it. Shock propagation changes the state of the tenuous intracluster plasma, and the corresponding signal variations are measurable with the current generation of X-ray and Sunyaev–Zel’dovich (SZ effect instruments. Additionally, non-thermal electrons (re-energized by the shocks sometimes give rise to extended and luminous synchrotron sources known as radio relics, which are prominent indicators of shocks propagating roughly in the plane of the sky. In this short review, we discuss how the joint modeling of the non-thermal and thermal signal variations across radio relic shock fronts is helping to advance our knowledge of the gas thermodynamical properties and magnetic field strengths in the cluster outskirts. We describe the first use of the SZ effect to measure the Mach numbers of relic shocks, for both the nearest (Coma and the farthest (El Gordo clusters with known radio relics.

Inactivation of Candida biofilms by non-thermal plasma and its enhancement for fungistatic effect of antifungal drugs.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yi Sun

Full Text Available We investigated the antifungal effect of non-thermal plasma, as well as its combination with common antifungal drugs, against Candida biofilms. A direct current atmospheric pressure He/O(2 (2% plasma microjet (PMJ was used to treat Candida biofilms in a 96-well plate. Inactivation efficacies of the biofilms were evaluated by XTT assay and counting colony forming units (CFUs. Morphological properties of the biofilms were evaluated by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM. The sessile minimal inhibitory concentrations (SMICs of fluconazole, amphotericin B, and caspofungin for the biofilms were also tested. Electron Spin Resonance (ESR spectroscopy was used to detect the reactive oxygen species (ROS generated directly and indirectly by PMJ. The Candida biofilms were completely inactivated after 1 min PMJ treatment, where severely deformed fungal elements were observed in SEM images. The SMICs of the tested antifungal drugs for the plasma-treated biofilms were decreased by 2-6 folds of dilution, compared to those of the untreated controls. ROS such as hydroxyl radical ((•OH, superoxide anion radical ((•O(2 (- and singlet molecular oxygen ((1O(2 were detected by ESR. We hence conclude that He/O(2 (2% plasma alone, as well as in combination with common antifungal drugs, is able to inactivate Candida biofilms rapidly. The generation of ROS is believed to be one of the underlying mechanisms for the fungicidal activity of plasma.

Non-Equilibrium Plasma Processing for the Preparation of Antibacterial Surfaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eloisa Sardella

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Non-equilibrium plasmas offer several strategies for developing antibacterial surfaces that are able to repel and/or to kill bacteria. Due to the variety of devices, implants, and materials in general, as well as of bacteria and applications, plasma assisted antibacterial strategies need to be tailored to each specific surface. Nano-composite coatings containing inorganic (metals and metal oxides or organic (drugs and biomolecules compounds can be deposited in one step, and used as drug delivery systems. On the other hand, functional coatings can be plasma-deposited and used to bind antibacterial molecules, for synthesizing surfaces with long lasting antibacterial activity. In addition, non-fouling coatings can be produced to inhibit the adhesion of bacteria and reduce the formation of biofilm. This paper reviews plasma-based strategies aimed to reduce bacterial attachment and proliferation on biomedical materials and devices, but also onto materials used in other fields. Most of the activities described have been developed in the lab of the authors.

Timescale and magnitude of plasma thermal energy loss before and during disruptions in JET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riccardo, V.; Loarte, A.

2005-01-01

In this paper we analyse and discuss the thermal energy loss dynamics before and during JET disruptions that occurred between 2002 and 2004 in discharges which reached >4.5 MJ of thermal energy. We observe the slow thermal energy transients with diamagnetic loops and the fast ones with electron cyclotron emission and soft x-ray diagnostics. For most disruption types in JET, the plasma thermal energy at the time of the thermal quench is substantially less than that of the full performance plasma, typically in the range of 10-50% depending on plasma conditions and disruption type. The exceptions to this observation are disruptions in plasmas with a strong internal transport barrier (ITB) and in discharges terminating in a pure vertical displacement event, in which the plasma conserves a very high energy content up to the thermal quench. These disruption types are very sudden, leaving little scope for the combined action of soft plasma landing strategies and intrinsic performance degradation, both requiring >500 ms to be effective, to decrease the available thermal energy. The characteristic time for the loss of energy from the main plasma towards the PFCs in the thermal quench of JET disruptions is in the range 0.05-3.0 ms. The shortest timescales are typical of disruptions caused by excessive pressure peaking in ITB discharges. The available thermal energy fraction and thermal quench duration observed in JET can be processed (with due caution) into estimates for the projected PFC lifetime of the ITER target

Treatment of the oily waste sludges through thermal plasma in absence of oxygen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castaneda J, G.; Pacheco S, J.

2001-01-01

The thermal plasma process in absence of oxygen for the degradation of oily waste sludges was evaluated. These residues are commonly generated in the petrochemical industry and are considered hazardous wastes according to the present environmental regulations. The process was operated using difference residence times and the characteristics of the gaseous by products and residual soils were determined. The efficiency of organic matter degradation was 99.99%. The attained volume reduction, under the best conditions was 95.5%. The residual soils were composed of carbon and clays. The residual gases have low molecular weight. The resulting final wastes were non-hazardous and could be disposed of in landfills. (Author)

Automated Plasma Spray (APS) process feasibility study: Plasma spray process development and evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Fetheroff, C. W.; Derkacs, T.; Matay, I. M.

1979-01-01

An automated plasma spray (APS) process was developed to apply two layer (NiCrAlY and ZrO2-12Y2O3) thermal-barrier coatings to aircraft gas turbine engine blade airfoils. The APS process hardware consists of four subsystems: a mechanical blade positioner incorporating two interlaced six-degree-of-freedom assemblies; a noncoherent optical metrology subsystem; a microprocessor-based adaptive system controller; and commercial plasma spray equipment. Over fifty JT9D first stage turbine blades specimens were coated with the APS process in preliminary checkout and evaluation studies. The best of the preliminary specimens achieved an overall coating thickness uniformity of + or - 53 micrometers, much better than is achievable manually. Factors limiting this performance were identified and process modifications were initiated accordingly. Comparative evaluations of coating thickness uniformity for manually sprayed and APS coated specimens were initiated. One of the preliminary evaluation specimens was subjected to a torch test and metallographic evaluation.

Enthalpy probe measurements and three-dimensional modelling on air plasma jets generated by a non-transferred plasma torch with hollow electrodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Keun Su; Park, Jin Myung; Choi, Sooseok; Kim, Jongin; Hong, Sang Hee

2008-01-01

Thermal flow characteristics of air plasma jets generated by a non-transferred plasma torch with hollow electrodes are experimentally and numerically investigated in order to provide more reliable scientific and technical information, which has been insufficient for their practical applications to material and environmental industries. In this work, a thermal plasma torch of hollow electrode type is first designed and fabricated, and similarity criteria for predicting operational conditions for the scale-up to high-power torches are derived from the arc voltage characteristics measured with various operating and geometry conditions of the torch. The thermal flow characteristics of air plasma jets ejected from the torch are measured by enthalpy probe diagnostics and turn out to have relatively low temperatures of around 3000-7000 K, but show features of other unique properties, such as high energy flux, broad high temperature region and long plasma jet with moderate axial velocity, which are promising for their applications to material syntheses and hazardous waste treatments. Such high enthalpy at a relatively low temperature of air thermal plasma compared with the argon one is due to the high thermal energy residing in the vibrational and rotational states and oxygen dissociation, besides the translational states in monatomic gases such as argon. It is expected that this high specific enthalpy of the air plasma will enable material and environmental industries to treat a large amount of precursors and waste materials effectively at a lower temperature for a longer residence time by the low plasma velocity. It is also found from the measurements that the turbulence intensity influenced by the size of the electrode diameter has a significant effect on the axial and radial profiles of plasma jet properties and that a longer plasma jet is more readily achievable with a larger electrode diameter reducing the turbulence intensity in the external region of the torch. In

Plasma-chemical processes and systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castro B, J.

1987-01-01

The direct applications of plasma technology on chemistry and metallurgy are presented. The physical fundaments of chemically active non-equilibrium plasma, the reaction kinetics, and the physical chemical transformations occuring in the electrical discharges, which are applied in the industry, are analysed. Some plasma chemical systems and processes related to the energy of hydrogen, with the chemical technology and with the metallurgy are described. Emphasis is given to the optimization of the energy effectiveness of these processes to obtain reducers and artificial energetic carriers. (M.C.K.) [pt

Numerical calculation of axisymmetric non-neutral plasma equilibria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spencer, R.L.; Rasband, S.N.; Vanfleet, R.R.

1993-01-01

Efficient techniques for computing axisymmetric non-neutral plasma equilibria are described. These equilibria may be obtained either by requiring global thermal equilibrium, by specifying the midplane radial density profile, or by specifying the radial profile of ∫n dz. Both splines and finite-differences are used, and the accuracy of the two is compared by using a new characterization of the thermal equilibrium density profile which gives a simple formula for estimating the radial and axial gradient scale lengths of thermal equilibria. It is found that for global thermal equilibrium 1% accuracy is achieved with splines if the distance between neighboring splines is about two Debye lengths while finite differences require a grid spacing of about one-half Debye length to achieve the same accuracy

Atomic and molecular physics of plasma-based environmental technologies for abatement of volatile organic compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Penetrante, B.M.; Hsiao, M.C.; Bardsley, J.N.; Merrit, B.T.; Vogtlin, G.E.; Kuthi, A.; Burkhart, C.P.; Bayless, J.R.

1996-01-01

Non-thermal plasma techniques represent a new generation of air emission control technology that potentially could treat large-volume emissions containing dilute concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In order to apply non-thermal in an industrial scale, it is important to establish the electrical power requirements and byproducts of the process. There is a need for reliable data concerning the primary decomposition mechanisms and subsequent chemical kinetics associated with non-thermal plasma processing of VOCs. There are many basic atomic and molecular physics issues that are essential in evaluating the economic performance of non-thermal plasma reactor. These studies are important in understanding how the input electrical power is dissipated in the plasma and how efficiency it is converted to the production of the plasma species (radicals, ions or electrons) responsible for the decomposition of the VOCs. This paper presents results from basic experimental and theoretical studied aimed at identifying the reaction mechanisms responsible for the primary decomposition of various types of VOCs. (Authors)

EDITORIAL: Special issue featuring articles arising from the 11th High-Tech Plasma Processes Conference Special issue featuring articles arising from the 11th High-Tech Plasma Processes Conference

Science.gov (United States)

Bruggeman, Peter; Degrez, Gérard; Delplancke, Marie-Paule; Gleizes, Alain

2011-05-01

The 11th High-Tech Plasma Processes Conference (HTPP) was held in Brussels, Belgium, 27 June-2 July, 2010. HTPP started as a thermal plasma conference and gradually expanded to include low-temperature plasmas. The conference was founded by Jacques Amouroux and Pierre Fauchais, and aims to bring together different scientific communities to facilitate contacts between science, technology and industry, providing a platform for the exploration of elementary processes and applications in and by plasmas. The first HTPP was held in Odeillo, France, in 1990. Since then it has been held every other year in different European cities: Paris, Aachen, Athens, Strasbourg, Saint-Petersburg, Patras and Brussels. The 11th HTPP conference was attended by 125 participants from 19 countries. The program involved 14 invited talks, 34 contributed talks, 72 posters and a software demonstration and hands-on session for plasma modelling. The 12th HTPP conference will be held 24-28 June 2012, in Bologna, Italy. A larger part of the contributions to the 11th HTPP has been published in the Journal of Physics: Conference Series (JPCS) volume 275, 2011. All invited speakers and other contributors, as selected by the Steering, Scientific and Organizing Committee, were invited to submit a paper based on their contributions for this special issue which is peer reviewed by the journal. Both this special issue and the JPCS volume aim to bring the 11th HTPP to a wider audience. The publications are a nice example of the broad topic range of the conference. The JPCS volume contains papers covering fundamental aspects on radiative processes of thermal plasmas, modelling of thermal arcs and non-thermal RF plasma jets, plasma diagnostics including flow and heat flux measurements of thermal plasmas, radical density measurements and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy. The applications-oriented contributions of the JPCS volume include plasma spraying, synthesis of (nano-sized) materials, surface

Electron thermal transport in tokamak plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Konings, J A

1994-11-30

The process of fusion of small nuclei thereby releasing energy, as it occurs continuously in the sun, is essential for the existence of mankind. The same process applied in a controlled way on earth would provide a clean and an abundant energy source, and be the long term solution of the energy problem. Nuclear fusion requires an extremely hot (10{sup 8} K) ionized gas, a plasma, that can only be maintained if it is kept insulated from any material wall. In the so called `tokamak` this is achieved by using magnetic fields. The termal insulation, which is essential if one wants to keep the plasma at the high `fusion` temperature, can be predicted using basic plasma therory. A comparison with experiments in tokamaks, however, showed that the electron enery losses are ten to hundred times larger than this theory predicts. This `anomalous transport` of thermal energy implies that, to reach the condition for nuclear fusion, a fusion reactor must have very large dimensions. This may put the economic feasibility of fusion power in jeopardy. Therefore, in a worldwide collaboration, physicists study tokamak plasmas in an attempt to understand and control the energy losses. From a scientific point of view, the mechanisms driving anomalous transport are one of the challenges in fudamental plasma physics. In Nieuwegein, a tokamak experiment (the Rijnhuizen Tokamak Project, RTP) is dedicated to the study of anomalous transport, in an international collaboration with other laboratories. (orig./WL).

Non-thermal plasma treatment as a new biotechnology in relation to seeds, dry fruits, and grains

Science.gov (United States)

Božena, ŠERÁ; Michal, ŠERÝ

2018-04-01

Non-thermal plasma (NTP) technology offers wide potential use in the food technology, the same as in the unconventional agriculture. Some seeds, dry fruits, grains and their sprouts gain popularity in the culinary industry as ‘raw seeds’. This review paper draws the current research and trends in NTP pre-treatment of selected seeds/fruits that are useable as ‘raw seeds’. The main applications are connected with activation of seed germination, early growth of seedlings, microbial inactivation of seed/fruit surface, and possibility of increasing quantity of biological active compounds in sprouting seeds. The paper presents a list of plant species that are able to be used as ‘raw seed’ including current information about main type of NTP treatment implemented.

Rapid thermal processing by stamping

Science.gov (United States)

Stradins, Pauls; Wang, Qi

2013-03-05

A rapid thermal processing device and methods are provided for thermal processing of samples such as semiconductor wafers. The device has components including a stamp (35) having a stamping surface and a heater or cooler (40) to bring it to a selected processing temperature, a sample holder (20) for holding a sample (10) in position for intimate contact with the stamping surface; and positioning components (25) for moving the stamping surface and the stamp (35) in and away from intimate, substantially non-pressured contact. Methods for using and making such devices are also provided. These devices and methods allow inexpensive, efficient, easily controllable thermal processing.

Plasma hearth process demonstration project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geimer, R.M.; Gillins, R.L.

1995-01-01

The Plasma Hearth Process (PHP) demonstration project is one of the key technology projects in the US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Technology Development Mixed Waste Focus Area. The PHP is a high temperature thermal treatment process using a plasma arc torch in a stationary, refractory lined chamber that destroys organics and stabilizes the residuals in a nonleaching, vitrified waste form, greatly improving the disposability of the waste. This paper describes the PHP system and summarizes test results to date, including volume reduction, destruction and removal efficiencies for organic wastes, and emission characteristics. Tests performed so far demonstrate that the PHP adresses DOE mixed waste final waste form requirements and US Environmental Protection Agency Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure requirements

Atomic and molecular physics of plasma-based environmental technologies for abatement of volatile organic compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Penetrante, B. M.; Hsiao, M. C.; Bardsley, J. N.; Merritt, B. T.; Vogtin, G. E.; Kuthi, A.; Burkhart, C. P.; Bayless, J. R.

1997-01-01

Non-thermal plasma techniques represent a new generation of air emission control technology that potentially could treat large-volume emissions containing dilute concentrations of volatile organic compounds. In order to apply non-thermal plasmas in an industrial scale, it is important to establish the electrical power requirements and byproducts of the process.There is a need for reliable data concerning the primary decomposition mechanisms and subsequent chemical kinetics associated with non- thermal plasma processing of volatile organic compounds. There are many basic atomic and molecular physics issues that are essential in evaluating the economic performance of non-thermal plasma reactors. These studies are important in understanding how the input electrical power is dissipated in the plasma and how efficiently it is converted to the production of the plasma species (radicals, ions or electrons) responsible for the decomposition of the volatile organic compounds. This paper will present results from basic experimental and theoretical studies aimed at identifying the reaction mechanisms responsible for the primary decomposition of various types of volatile organic compounds. (authors)

Measurement of the non-thermal properties of a low pressure spraying plasma by electric and spectroscopic methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Yong Ho

2003-02-01

For the case of an atmospheric plasma, the local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) model can be applied to plasmas at a nozzle entrance and to those on the axis of the plasma flame, but it is not easy to justify applying the LTE model to off-center plasma and to a low-pressure spraying plasma. Although the energy distribution of the electrons is assumed to be Maxwellian for the most of spraying plasmas, the non-Maxwellian distribution is possible for the case of low-pressure spaying plasma and edge plasma of atmospheric spraying plasma. In this work, the non-Maxwellian distribution of electrons was measured by using an electric probe installed on the fast scanning probe system, and non-LTE effects were measured by using the optical emission spectroscopy system. Distribution of the electrons of a low-pressure spraying plasma is observed not as Maxwellian but as bi-Maxwellian by the measurement of the single probe. Bi-Maxwellian distribution appears in the edge of a low pressure spraying plasma and seems to be due to the reduction of the collisonality by the drastic variation of the plasma density. Non-LTE characteristics of a low-pressure spraying plasma can be deuced from the measured results of the optical emission spectroscopy and is analyzed by the collisional radiative equilibrium (CRE) model, where the Maxwellian and the non-Maxwellian distributions are assumed for comparison. For the electron temperature, the results from optical emission spectroscopy were similar to the results from the single probe (3∼5 % in error)

SUPERFAST THERMALIZATION OF PLASMA

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, C.C.

1962-06-12

A method is given for the superfast thermalization of plasma by shock conversion of the kinetic energy stored in rotating plasma rings or plasmoids colliding at near supersonic speeds in a containment field to heat energy in the resultant confined plasma mass. The method includes means for generating rotating plasmoids at the opposite ends of a Pyrotron or Astron containment field. The plasmoids are magnetically accelerated towards each other into the opposite ends of time containment field. During acceleration of the plasmoids toward the center of the containment field, the intensity of the field is sequentially increased to adiabatically compress the plasmoids and increase the plasma energy. The plasmoids hence collide with a violent shock at the eenter of the containment field, causing the substantial kinetic energy stored in the plasmoids to be converted to heat in the resultant plasma mass. (AEC)

Thermal Stir Welding: A New Solid State Welding Process

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, R. Jeffrey

2003-01-01

Thermal stir welding is a new welding process developed at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL. Thermal stir welding is similar to friction stir welding in that it joins similar or dissimilar materials without melting the parent material. However, unlike friction stir welding, the heating, stirring and forging elements of the process are all independent of each other and are separately controlled. Furthermore, the heating element of the process can be either a solid-state process (such as a thermal blanket, induction type process, etc), or, a fusion process (YG laser, plasma torch, etc.) The separation of the heating, stirring, forging elements of the process allows more degrees of freedom for greater process control. This paper introduces the mechanics of the thermal stir welding process. In addition, weld mechanical property data is presented for selected alloys as well as metallurgical analysis.

Some non-thermal microbial inactivation methods in dairy products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yangilar, F.; Kabil, E.

2013-01-01

During the production of dairy products, some thermal processes such as pasteurization and sterilization are used commonly to inactive microorganisms. But as a result of thermal processes, loss of nutrient and aroma, non-enzymatic browning and organoleptic differentiation especially in dairy products are seen. Because of this, alternative methods are needed to provide microbial inactivation and as major problems are caused by high temperatures, non-thermal processes are focused on. For this purpose, some methods such as high pressure (HP), pulsed light (PL), ultraviolet radiation (UV), supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) or pulsed electric field (PEF) are used in food. These methods products are processed in ambient temperature and so not only mentioned losses are minimized but also freshness and naturality of products can be preserved. In this work, we will try to be given information about methods of non-thermal microbial inactivation of dairy products. (author) [tr

High-Performance Molybdenum Coating by Wire–HVOF Thermal Spray Process

Science.gov (United States)

Tailor, Satish; Modi, Ankur; Modi, S. C.

2018-04-01

Coating deposition on many industrial components with good microstructural, mechanical properties, and better wear resistance is always a challenge for the thermal spray community. A number of thermal spray methods are used to develop such promising coatings for many industrial applications, viz. arc spray, flame spray, plasma, and HVOF. All these processes have their own limitations to achieve porous free, very dense, high-performance wear-resistant coatings. In this work, an attempt has been made to overcome this limitation. Molybdenum coatings were deposited on low-carbon steel substrates using wire-high-velocity oxy-fuel (W-HVOF; WH) thermal spray system (trade name HIJET 9610®). For a comparison, Mo coatings were also fabricated by arc spray, flame spray, plasma spray, and powder-HVOF processes. As-sprayed coatings were analyzed using x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy for phase, and microstructural analysis, respectively. Coating microhardness, surface roughness, and porosity were also measured. Adhesion strength and wear tests were conducted to determine the mechanical and wear properties of the as-sprayed coatings. Results show that the coatings deposited by W-HVOF have better performance in terms of microstructural, mechanical, and wear resistance properties, in comparison with available thermal spray process (flame spray and plasma spray).

Advanced oxide powders processing based on cascade plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Solonenko, O P; Smirnov, A V

2014-01-01

Analysis of the potential advantages offered to thermal spraying and powder processing by the implementation of plasma torches with inter-electrode insert (IEI) or, in other words, cascade plasma torches (CPTs) is presented. The paper provides evidence that the modular designed single cathode CPT helps eliminate the following major disadvantages of conventional plasma torches: plasma parameters drifting, 1-5 kHz pulsing of plasma flow, as well as excessive erosion of electrodes. More stable plasma results in higher quality, homogeneity and reproducibility of plasma sprayed coatings and powders treated. In addition, CPT offers an extremely wide operating window, which allows better control of plasma parameters, particle dwell time and, consequently, particle temperature and velocity within a wide range by generating high enthalpy quasi-laminar plasmas, medium enthalpy transient plasmas, as well as relatively low enthalpy turbulent plasmas. Stable operation, flexibility with plasma gases as well as wide operating window of CPT should help significantly improve the existing plasma spraying processes and coatings, and also help develop new advanced technologies

High resolution X-ray spectroscopy of thermal plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Canizares, C.R.

1990-01-01

This paper concentrates on reviewing highlights of the Focal Plane Crystal Spectrometer (FPCS) results on thermal plasmas, particularly supernova remnants (SNRs) and clusters of galaxies from the Einstein observatory. During Einstein's short but happy life, we made over 400 observations with the FPCS of 40 different objects. Three quarters of these were objects in which the emission was primarily from optically thin thermal plasma, primarily supernova remnants (SNRs) and clusters of galaxies. Thermal plasmas provide an excellent illustration of how spectral data, particularly high resolution spectral data, can be an important tool for probing the physical properties of astrophysical objects. (author)

Results of bench-scale plasma system testing in support of the Plasma Hearth Process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leatherman, G.L.; Cornelison, C.; Frank, S.

1996-01-01

The Plasma Hearth Process (PHP) is a high-temperature process that destroys hazardous organic components and stabilizes the radioactive components and hazardous metals in a leach-resistant vitreous slag waste form. The PHP technology development program is targeted at mixed waste that cannot be easily treated by conventional means. For example, heterogeneous debris, which may contain hazardous organics, toxic metals, and radionuclides, is difficult to characterize and cannot be treated with conventional thermal, chemical, or physical treatment methods. A major advantage of the PHP over other plasma processes is its ability to separate nonradioactive, non-hazardous metals from the non-metallic and radioactive components which are contained in the vitreous slag. The overall PHP program involves the design, fabrication, and operation of test hardware to demonstrate and certify that the PHP concept is viable for DOE waste treatment. The program involves bench-scale testing of PHP equipment in radioactive service, as well as pilot-scale demonstration of the PHP concept using nonradioactive, surrogate test materials. The fate of secondary waste streams is an important consideration for any technology considered for processing mixed waste. The main secondary waste stream generated by the PHP is flyash captured by the fabric- filter baghouse. The PHP concept is that flyash generated by the process can, to a large extent, be treated by processing this secondary waste stream in the PHP. Prior to the work presented in the paper, however, the PHP project has not quantitatively demonstrated the ability to treat PHP generated flyash. A major consideration is the quantity of radionuclides and RCRA-regulated metals in the flyash that can be retained the resultant waste form

Plasma processes including electron beam for off-gases purification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chmielewski, A.G.; Witman, S.; Licki, J.

2011-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. Non-thermal plasma technologies based on different methods of plasma generation are being applied for ozone generation for different applications, waste water and off-gases treatment. Plasmas create reactive species, in particular ions, radicals or other reactive compounds, which can decompose pollutant molecules, organic particulate matter or soot. Electron beam flue gas treatment is another plasma-based technology which has been successfully demonstrated on industrial scale coal fired power plants. High efficiency of SO 2 (> 95%) and NO x (> 70%) has been obtained and industrial plant applying this process has been built in Poland. The further investigations carried out all over the world have illustrated that the process can be applied for poly-aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) destruction as well, and just recently research laboratories in the US and South Korea have reported in the feasibility of the process for mercury removal from the flue gas. The recent studies concern a new type of accelerators implementation in the industrial scale, application of the process in the high sulfur oil fired boilers and Diesel off - gases purification. The treatment of the flue gases with the high NOx concentration is a special challenge for the technology since the main energy consumption (and applied accelerators power) is related to this pollutant content in the processed off gases. The pulse beams and scavenger application can be a solution to reduce investment and operational costs. The further development of the technology is directly connected with high power accelerators development. Acknowledgement: The R and D activities are supported by the European Regional Development Found in the frame of the project PlasTEP 'Dissemination and fostering of plasma based technological innovation for environment protection in the Baltic Sea Region'.

The conversion of the thermal energy of plasma in the SOL of tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nedospasov, A.V.; Nenova, N.V.

2008-01-01

When the plasma expands across the confining magnetic field, a part of its thermal energy is converted to electrical energy. In the SOL of tokamaks, the motion of the plasma across the field due to turbulent processes is accompanied by its departure along the open lines of the magnetic field. The conversion of thermal energy is taken into account in theoretical studies devoted to the physics of plasma in the SOL; however, this conversion is ignored in numerical models, for example, in B2-SOLPS4.0. This paper deals with thermal-to-electrical energy conversion in the SOL of tokamaks. It is demonstrated that the part of the thermal energy subjected to conversion to electrical energy forms an appreciable part of the total energy flowing in the SOL. In ITER, this fraction may be as high as 20-25%. The electrical energy generated in the SOL volume is liberated in the form of Joule heat in a relatively cold plasma in the vicinity of diverter plates or directly on these plates. (letter)

Integrated CO{sub 2} Capture and Utilization Using Non-Thermal Plasmolysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moss, Matthew, E-mail: mmoss1@sheffield.ac.uk; Reed, Daniel G.; Allen, Ray W. K.; Styring, Peter [UK Centre for Carbon Dioxide Utilisation, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield (United Kingdom)

2017-08-02

In this work, two simple processes for carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) such as capture and utilization have been combined to form a whole systems approach to carbon capture and utilization (CCU). The first stage utilizes a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) system, which offers many benefits over current amine technologies. It was found that high selectivity can be achieved with rapid adsorption/desorption times while employing a cheap, durable sorbent that exhibits no sorbent losses and is easily regenerated by simple pressure drops. The PSA system is capable of capturing and upgrading the CO{sub 2} concentration of a waste gas stream from 12.5% to a range of higher purities. As many CCU end processes have some tolerance toward impurities in the feed, in the form of nitrogen (N{sub 2}), for example, this is highly advantageous for this PSA system since CO{sub 2} purities in excess of 80% can be achieved with only a few steps and minimal energy input. Non-thermal plasma is one such technology that can tolerate, and even benefit from, small N{sub 2} impurities in the feed, therefore a 100% pure CO{sub 2} stream is not required. The second stage of this process deploys a nanosecond pulsed corona discharge reactor to split the captured CO{sub 2} into carbon monoxide (CO), which can then be used as a chemical feedstock for other syntheses. Corona discharge has proven industrial applications for gas cleaning and the benefit of pulsed power reduces the energy consumption of the system. The wire-in-cylinder geometry concentrates the volume of gas treated into the area of high electric field. Previous work has suggested that moderate conversions can be achieved (9%), compared to other non-thermal plasma methods, but with higher energy efficiencies (>60%).

Synthesis of ZnO nanopowders by DC thermal plasma for dye-sensitized solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Soo-Jung; Choi, Jinsub [Department of Chemical Engineering, Inha University, 253 Yonghyun-dong, Nam-gu, Incheon 402-751 (Korea, Republic of); Park, Dong-Wha, E-mail: dwpark@inha.ac.kr [Department of Chemical Engineering, Inha University, 253 Yonghyun-dong, Nam-gu, Incheon 402-751 (Korea, Republic of)

2013-05-01

Highlights: ► ZnO nanopowders were synthesized using DC thermal plasma process. ► Type and flow rate of reaction gas were controlled as experimental variables. ► Various morphologies were identified by changing the reaction gas. ► The photovoltaic performances were promoted by removing the unreacted precursors. ► DSSCs based on 1D nanostructure ZnO show the enhanced energy conversion efficiency. -- Abstract: Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanopowders were synthesized from commercially available micro-sized zinc powders (Aldrich Co., 98%, 10 μm) by a DC thermal plasma process at atmospheric pressure. The micro-sized zinc powders were vaporized in the plasma region, after which the plasma processing equipment was rapidly quenched, resulting in the formation of ZnO nanopowders with a size of less than 300 nm. Two different reaction gases of oxygen and carbon dioxide were used as the oxygen source and each gas flow rate was controlled as a process variable. The obtained ZnO nanopowders were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). All synthesized ZnO nanopowders showed high crystalline wurtzite structures and the differences in their morphologies were strongly dependent on the operating variables. The photocurrent–voltage (J–V) curve of the ZnO nanopowders with a dye of ruthenium (II) 535 bis-TBA (N719, Solaronix) in redox electrolyte showed an overall energy conversion efficiency (η) of 2.54%, demonstrating that the application of the mass-producible ZnO nanopowders by thermal plasma processing to DSSC was feasible.

Application of non-thermal plasma reactor and Fenton reaction for degradation of ibuprofen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marković, Marijana [Center of Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 12-16, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia); Jović, Milica; Stanković, Dalibor [Innovation Center, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade, P.O. Box 51, 11058 Belgrade 118 (Serbia); Kovačević, Vesna [Faculty of Physics, University of Belgrade, P.O. Box 44, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia); Roglić, Goran [Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade, P.O. Box 51, 11058 Belgrade 118 (Serbia); Gojgić-Cvijović, Gordana [Center of Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 12-16, 11000 Belgrade (Serbia); Manojlović, Dragan, E-mail: manojlo@chem.bg.ac.rs [Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade, P.O. Box 51, 11058 Belgrade 118 (Serbia)

2015-02-01

Pharmaceutical compounds have been detected frequently in surface and ground water. Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) were reported as very efficient for removal of various organic compounds. Nevertheless, due to incomplete degradation, toxic intermediates can induce more severe effects than the parent compound. Therefore, toxicity studies are necessary for the evaluation of possible uses of AOPs. In this study the effectiveness and capacity for environmental application of three different AOPs were estimated. They were applied and evaluated for removal of ibuprofen from water solutions. Therefore, two treatments were performed in a non-thermal plasma reactor with dielectric barrier discharge with and without a homogenous catalyst (Fe{sup 2+}). The third treatment was the Fenton reaction. The degradation rate of ibuprofen was measured by HPLC-DAD and the main degradation products were identified using LC–MS TOF. Twelve degradation products were identified, and there were differences according to the various treatments applied. Toxicity effects were determined with two bioassays: Vibrio fischeri and Artemia salina. The efficiency of AOPs was demonstrated for all treatments, where after 15 min degradation percentage was over 80% accompanied by opening of the aromatic ring. In the treatment with homogenous catalyst degradation reached 99%. V. fischeri toxicity test has shown greater sensitivity to ibuprofen solution after the Fenton treatment in comparison to A. salina. - Highlights: • Twelve ibuprofen degradation products were identified in total. • The degradation percentage differed between treatments (DBD/Fe{sup 2+} was 99%). • In DBD/Fe{sup 2+} only aliphatic degradation products were identified. • V. fischeri was sensitive to ibuprofen solution after the Fenton treatment. • A. salina showed no toxic effect when exposed to all post treatment solutions.

Application of non-thermal plasma reactor and Fenton reaction for degradation of ibuprofen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marković, Marijana; Jović, Milica; Stanković, Dalibor; Kovačević, Vesna; Roglić, Goran; Gojgić-Cvijović, Gordana; Manojlović, Dragan

2015-01-01

Pharmaceutical compounds have been detected frequently in surface and ground water. Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) were reported as very efficient for removal of various organic compounds. Nevertheless, due to incomplete degradation, toxic intermediates can induce more severe effects than the parent compound. Therefore, toxicity studies are necessary for the evaluation of possible uses of AOPs. In this study the effectiveness and capacity for environmental application of three different AOPs were estimated. They were applied and evaluated for removal of ibuprofen from water solutions. Therefore, two treatments were performed in a non-thermal plasma reactor with dielectric barrier discharge with and without a homogenous catalyst (Fe 2+ ). The third treatment was the Fenton reaction. The degradation rate of ibuprofen was measured by HPLC-DAD and the main degradation products were identified using LC–MS TOF. Twelve degradation products were identified, and there were differences according to the various treatments applied. Toxicity effects were determined with two bioassays: Vibrio fischeri and Artemia salina. The efficiency of AOPs was demonstrated for all treatments, where after 15 min degradation percentage was over 80% accompanied by opening of the aromatic ring. In the treatment with homogenous catalyst degradation reached 99%. V. fischeri toxicity test has shown greater sensitivity to ibuprofen solution after the Fenton treatment in comparison to A. salina. - Highlights: • Twelve ibuprofen degradation products were identified in total. • The degradation percentage differed between treatments (DBD/Fe 2+ was 99%). • In DBD/Fe 2+ only aliphatic degradation products were identified. • V. fischeri was sensitive to ibuprofen solution after the Fenton treatment. • A. salina showed no toxic effect when exposed to all post treatment solutions

Plasma technology for treatment of waste

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cohn, D [Massachusetts Inst. of Technology, Cambridge, MA (United States). Plasma Fusion Center

1997-12-31

Meeting goals for waste cleanup will require new technology with improved environmental attractiveness and reduced cost. Plasma technology appears promising because of the high degree of controllability; capability to process waste without the adverse effects of combustion; and a very wide temperature range of operation. At the Plasma Fusion Center at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a range of plasma technologies are being investigated. `Hot` thermal plasmas produced by DC arc technology are being examined for treatment of solid waste. In conjunction with this activity, new diagnostics are being developed for monitoring arc furnace operating parameters and gaseous emissions. Electron-beam generated plasma technology is being investigated as a means of producing non-thermal `cold` plasmas for selective processing of dilute concentrations of gaseous waste. (author). 4 figs., 5 refs.

Application to cleaning of waste plastic surfaces using atmospheric non-thermal plasma jets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Araya, Masayuki [Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8502 (Japan); Yuji, Toshifumi [Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 O-okayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550 (Japan)]. E-mail: t-yuji@hiroshima-cmt.ac.jp; Watanabe, Takayuki [Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8502 (Japan); Kashihara, Junzou [SHARP corporation, 1-9-2 Nakase, Mihama-Ku, Chiba 261-8520 (Japan); Sumida, Yoshitake [SHARP corporation, 2613-1 Ichinomoto-cho, Tenri 632-8567 (Japan)

2007-03-12

The removal of paint on the surface of waste plastics is difficult by the conventional process; in this research, a new cleaning mechanism using atmospheric plasmas was examined through optical emission spectroscopy, electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. Results indicate that an increase of pulse frequency enables for a short processing time for the removal of the paint film, signifying that the production of radicals in plasma, especially oxygen radicals, can be controlled by pulse frequency. Plasma jets were generated under the experimental conditions of an input power of 250 W to 400 W, a pulse frequency of 2 kHz to 12 kHz, and a plasma gas flow rate of 30 L/min. Examination of the intensity ratio of the reactive species, as measured by emission spectroscopy, showed that the O/N value increased with an increase in pulse frequency. Results of analysis with electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis show that nitrogen atoms and molybdenum in only the paint film decreased through plasma processing.

Application to cleaning of waste plastic surfaces using atmospheric non-thermal plasma jets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Araya, Masayuki; Yuji, Toshifumi; Watanabe, Takayuki; Kashihara, Junzou; Sumida, Yoshitake

2007-01-01

The removal of paint on the surface of waste plastics is difficult by the conventional process; in this research, a new cleaning mechanism using atmospheric plasmas was examined through optical emission spectroscopy, electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. Results indicate that an increase of pulse frequency enables for a short processing time for the removal of the paint film, signifying that the production of radicals in plasma, especially oxygen radicals, can be controlled by pulse frequency. Plasma jets were generated under the experimental conditions of an input power of 250 W to 400 W, a pulse frequency of 2 kHz to 12 kHz, and a plasma gas flow rate of 30 L/min. Examination of the intensity ratio of the reactive species, as measured by emission spectroscopy, showed that the O/N value increased with an increase in pulse frequency. Results of analysis with electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis show that nitrogen atoms and molybdenum in only the paint film decreased through plasma processing

Comparative analysis of turbulent effects on thermal plasma characteristics inside the plasma torches with rod- and well-type cathodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hur, Min; Hong, Sang Hee

2002-01-01

The thermal plasma characteristics inside the two non-transferred plasma torches with rod-type cathode (RTC) and well-type cathode (WTC) are analysed in conjunction with turbulent effects on them in the atmospheric-pressure conditions. A control volume method and a modified semi-implicit pressure linked equations revised algorithm are used for solving the governing equations, i.e. conservation equations of mass, momentum, and energy together with a current continuity equation for arc discharge. A cold flow analysis is introduced to find the cathode spot position in the WTC torch, and both the laminar and turbulent models are employed to gain a physical insight into the turbulent effects on the thermal plasma characteristics produced inside the two torches. The numerical analysis for an RTC torch shows that slightly different values of plasma temperature and velocity between the laminar and turbulent calculations occur and the radial temperature profiles are constricted at the axis with increasing the gas flow rate, and that the large turbulent viscosities appear mostly near the anode wall. These calculated results indicate that the turbulent effects on the thermal plasma characteristics are very weak in the whole discharge region inside the RTC torch. On the other hand, the calculated results of the two numerical simulations for a WTC torch present that the significantly different values of plasma characteristics between the two models appear in the whole torch region and the plasma temperatures decrease with increasing the gas flow rate because the relatively strong turbulent effects are prevailing in the entire interior region of the WTC torch. From the comparisons of plasma net powers calculated and measured in this work, the turbulent modelling turns out to provide the more accurately calculated results close to the measured ones compared with the laminar one, especially for the torch with WTC. This is because the turbulent effects are considerably strong in

Research on electric and thermal characteristics of plasma torch based on similarity theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng Changming; Tang Deli; Lan Wei

2007-01-01

Configuration and working principle of a DC non-transferred plasma torch have been introduced. Based on similarity theory, connections between the electric-thermal characteristics and operational parameter such as flowing gas rate and arc power have been investigated. Calculation and experiment are compared. The results indicate that the calculation results are in agreement with experimental ones. The formulas can be used for plasma torch improvement and optimization. (authors)

About relaxation phenomena and transport processing in a fully ionized non-ideal plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baimbetov, F.B.; Iztleuov, N.T.

1999-01-01

In this report correlation effects for non-ideal plasma are accounted in the so called pseudopotentials. The accounting of high order correlation influences in the pseudopotential lead to the strongly screened potential. Kinetic equation with pseudopotential is cited. The equations which describe the relaxation of the difference of directed velocities of plasma particles, and frequency of particle collision which determines relaxation of temperature for non-ideal plasma are obtained. On basis of mentioned kinetic equation the transport equation is obtained as well

Low and intermediate level radioactive waste processing in plasma reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sauchyn, V.; Khvedchyn, I.; Van Oost, G.

2013-01-01

Methods of low and intermediate level radioactive waste processing comprise: cementation, bituminization, curing in polymer matrices, combustion and pyrolysis. All these methods are limited in their application in the field of chemical, morphological, and aggregate composition of material to be processed. The thermal plasma method is one of the universal methods of RAW processing. The use of electric-arc plasma with mean temperatures 2000 - 8000 K can effectively carry out the destruction of organic compounds into atoms and ions with very high speeds and high degree of conversion. Destruction of complex substances without oxygen leads to a decrease of the volume of exhaust gases and dimension of gas cleaning system. This paper presents the plasma reactor for thermal processing of low and intermediate level radioactive waste of mixed morphology. The equipment realizes plasma-pyrolytic conversion of wastes and results in a conditioned product in a single stage. As a result, the volume of conditioned waste is significantly reduced (more than 10 times). Waste is converted into an environmentally friendly form that suits long-term storage. The leaching rate of macro-components from the vitrified compound is less than 1.10 -7 g/(cm 2 .day). (authors)

Degradation of sulfur dioxide using plasma technology; Degradacion de dioxido de azufre empleando tecnologia de plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Estrada M, N.; Garcia E, R. [Instituto Tecnologico de Toluca, Av. Tecnologico s/n, Ex-Rancho La Virgen, 52140 Metepec, Estado de Mexico (Mexico); Pacheco P, M.; Valdivia B, R.; Pacheco S, J., E-mail: nadiaemz@yahoo.com.mx [ININ, Carretera Mexico-Toluca s/n, 52750 Ocoyoacac, Estado de Mexico (Mexico)

2013-07-01

This paper presents the electro-chemical study performed for sulfur dioxide (SO{sub 2}) treatment using non thermal plasma coupled to a nano structured fluid bed enhancing the toxic gas removal and the adsorption of acids formed during plasma treatment, more of 80% of removal was obtained. Non thermal plasma was ignited by dielectric barrier discharge (Dbd). The research was developed through an analysis of the chemical kinetics of the process and experimental study of degradation; in each experiment the electrical parameters and the influence of carbon nano structures were monitored to establish the optimal conditions of degradation. We compared the theoretical and experimental results to conclude whether the proposed model is correct for degradation. (Author)

Plasma thermal conversion of bio-oil for hydrogen production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guenadou, David; Lorcet, Helene; Peybernes, Jean; Catoire, Laurent; Osmont, Antoine; Gokalp, Iskender

2012-01-01

Numerous processes exist or are proposed for the energetic conversion of biomass. The use of thermal plasma is proposed in the frame of the GALACSY project for the conversion of bio-oil to hydrogen and carbon monoxide. For this purpose, an experimental apparatus has been built. The feasibility of this conversion at very high temperature, as encountered in thermal plasma, is examined both experimentally and numerically. This zero dimensional study tends to show that a high temperature (around 2500 K or above) is needed to ensure a high yield of hydrogen (about 50 mol%) and about 95 mol% of CO+H 2 . Predicted CO+H 2 yield and CO/H 2 ratio are consistent with measurements. It is also expected that the formation of particles and tars is hampered. Thermodynamic data of selected bio-oil components are provided in the CHEMKINNASA format. (authors)

Destruction studies of hazardous wastes by thermal plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cota S, G.

1998-01-01

Plasma technology appears promising because its high degree of controllability, capability to process waste without the adverse effects of combustion, and a very wide temperature range of operation. The goal of this work was to develop a process for a high throughput system to turn hazardous waste into inert stable products, which can be safely stored and to greatly reduce air pollution relative to incineration. The experiments have shown that the thermal plasma reactor can provide a high degree of decomposition of CCl 4 , C 6 H 6 , C 2 Cl 4 and commercial oil at low gas input speeds, with modest power requirements. Decomposition of 99.9999 % has been obtained in our laboratory and all the organic components are decomposed in base molecules (C, CO, CO 2 , H 2 , HCl). The analysis of exhaust gases was made by using a mass filter quadrupole. The equipment consist of a cylindrical reactor hermetically sealed, double-walled and water-cooled container made of special steel, this container in halt the crucible which serves to receive the waste materials. The whole system is designed for a maximal internal temperature of 2000 Centigrade. The gaseous result components of the material are transferred to a scrubber unit through an exit arranged on the top of reactor. The thermal efficiency evaluation of the plasma torch was also realized, obtaining a reasonable agreement between measurements and predictions in temperature profiles. (Author)

Implosive Thermal Plasma Source for Energy Conversion

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Šonský, Jiří; Tesař, Václav; Gruber, Jan; Mašláni, Alan

2017-01-01

Roč. 4, č. 1 (2017), s. 87-90 ISSN 2336-2626 Institutional support: RVO:61388998 ; RVO:61389021 Keywords : implosion * thermal plasma * detonation wave Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics; BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics (UFP-V) OBOR OECD: Fluids and plasma physics (including surface physics); Fluids and plasma physics (including surface physics) (UFP-V) https://ppt.fel.cvut.cz/ppt2017.html#number1

Hydrogen production by thermal water splitting using a thermal plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boudesocque, N.; Lafon, C.; Girold, C.; Vandensteendam, C.; Baronnet, J.M.

2006-01-01

CEA has been working for more than 10 years in plasma technologies devoted to waste treatment: incineration, vitrification, gases and liquid treatment. Based on this experience, CEA experiments since several years an innovative route for hydrogen production by thermal water splitting, using a plasma as heat source. This new approach could be considered as an alternative to electrolysis for massive hydrogen production from water and electricity. This paper presents a brief state of the art of water thermal plasmas, showing the temperatures and quench velocity ranges technologically achievable today. Thermodynamic properties of a water plasma are presented and discussed. A kinetic computational model is presented, describing the behavior of splitted products during the quench in a plasma plume for various parameters, such as the quench rate. The model results are compared to gas analysis in the plasma plume obtained with in-situ sampling probe. The plasma composition measurements are issued from an Optical Emission Spectroscopic method (OES). The prediction of 30 % H 2 recovery with a 108 K.s -1 quench rate has been verified. A second experimentation has been performed: mass gas analysis, flowrate measurement and OES to study the 'behavior' and species in underwater electrical arc stricken between graphite electrodes. With this quench, a synthesis gas was produced with a content 55 % of hydrogen. (authors)

Thermal plasma spheroidization and spray deposition of barium titanate powder and characterization of the plasma sprayable powder

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pakseresht, A.H., E-mail: amirh_pak@yahoo.com [Department of Ceramics, Materials and Energy Research Center, P.O. Box 31787-316, Karaj (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Rahimipour, M.R. [Department of Ceramics, Materials and Energy Research Center, P.O. Box 31787-316, Karaj (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Vaezi, M.R. [Department of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Materials and Energy Research Center, P.O. Box 31787-316, Karaj (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Salehi, M. [Department of Materials Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, P.O. Box 84156-83111, Isfahan (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2016-04-15

In this paper, atmospheric plasma spray method was used to produce dense plasma sprayable powder and thick barium titanate film. In this regard, the commercially feedstock powders were granulated and spheroidized by the organic binder and the thermal spray process, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy was used to investigate the microstructure of the produced powders and the final deposits. X-ray diffraction was also implemented to characterize phase of the sprayed powder. The results indicated that spheroidized powder had suitable flowability as well as high density. The micro-hardness of the film produced by the sprayed powders was higher than that of the film deposited by the irregular granules. Additionally, relative permittivity of the films was increased by decreasing the defects from 160 to 293 for film deposited using spheroidized powder. The reduction in the relative permittivity of deposits, in comparison with the bulk material, was due to the existence of common defects in the thermal spray process. - Highlights: • We prepare sprayable BaTiO{sub 3} powder with no or less inside voids for plasma spray application for first time. • The sprayable powder has good flow characteristics and high density. • Powder spheroidization via plasma spray improves the hardness and dielectric properties of the deposited film.

Thermal plasma spheroidization and spray deposition of barium titanate powder and characterization of the plasma sprayable powder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pakseresht, A.H.; Rahimipour, M.R.; Vaezi, M.R.; Salehi, M.

2016-01-01

In this paper, atmospheric plasma spray method was used to produce dense plasma sprayable powder and thick barium titanate film. In this regard, the commercially feedstock powders were granulated and spheroidized by the organic binder and the thermal spray process, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy was used to investigate the microstructure of the produced powders and the final deposits. X-ray diffraction was also implemented to characterize phase of the sprayed powder. The results indicated that spheroidized powder had suitable flowability as well as high density. The micro-hardness of the film produced by the sprayed powders was higher than that of the film deposited by the irregular granules. Additionally, relative permittivity of the films was increased by decreasing the defects from 160 to 293 for film deposited using spheroidized powder. The reduction in the relative permittivity of deposits, in comparison with the bulk material, was due to the existence of common defects in the thermal spray process. - Highlights: • We prepare sprayable BaTiO_3 powder with no or less inside voids for plasma spray application for first time. • The sprayable powder has good flow characteristics and high density. • Powder spheroidization via plasma spray improves the hardness and dielectric properties of the deposited film.

Time-dependent ionization balance model for non-LTE plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Y.T.; Zimmerman, G.B.; Bailey, D.S.; Dickson, D.; Kim, D.

1986-01-01

We have developed a detailed configuration-accounting kinetic model for calculating time-dependent ionization-balance and ion-level populations in non-local thermal-equilibrium (non-LTE) plasmas. We use these population estimates in computing spectral line intensities, line ratios, and synthetic spectra, and in fitting these calculated values to experimental measurements. The model is also used to design laboratory x-ray laser experiments. For this purpose, it is self-consistently coupled to the hydrodynamics code LASNEX. 20 refs., 14 figs

Incineration/vitrification of radioactive wastes and combustion of pyrolysis gases in thermal plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Girold, Ch.

1997-03-01

Two thermal plasma processes used for incineration of radioactive technological wastes (cellulose, plastics, rubber...) have been investigated. First, the different types of radioactive wastes are presented, with a special attention to those which may benefit from a high temperature thermal treatment. The most significant thermal plasma processes, suitable for this goal, are described. Then, the author deals with the post-combustion, in an oxygen plasma jet reactor, of gases from burnable radioactive waste pyrolysis. An experimental planning method as been used to evaluate the combustion performances in the reactor, with a wide range of gas composition and running parameters such as oxygen excess and electrical power. The results of a modeling of kinetics, based on 116 chemicals reactions between 25 species, are compared with experimental values. Finally, an oxygen plasma reactor where the arc is transferred on a basalt melt is experimented. The efficiency of the combustion and the homogeneity of the glass are discussed. The volatility of some glass elements and tracers added to the wastes is also approached in two different ways: by post-trial material balance and by an optical emission spectroscopic method. The author built a diagnostic method that allows the following versus time of the metallic vapours above the melt. (author)

Higher Temperature Thermal Barrier Coatings with the Combined Use of Yttrium Aluminum Garnet and the Solution Precursor Plasma Spray Process

Science.gov (United States)

Gell, Maurice; Wang, Jiwen; Kumar, Rishi; Roth, Jeffery; Jiang, Chen; Jordan, Eric H.

2018-04-01

Gas-turbine engines are widely used in transportation, energy and defense industries. The increasing demand for more efficient gas turbines requires higher turbine operating temperatures. For more than 40 years, yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) has been the dominant thermal barrier coating (TBC) due to its outstanding material properties. However, the practical use of YSZ-based TBCs is limited to approximately 1200 °C. Developing new, higher temperature TBCs has proven challenging to satisfy the multiple property requirements of a durable TBC. In this study, an advanced TBC has been developed by using the solution precursor plasma spray (SPPS) process that generates unique engineered microstructures with the higher temperature yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) to produce a TBC that can meet and exceed the major performance standards of state-of-the-art air plasma sprayed YSZ, including: phase stability, sintering resistance, CMAS resistance, thermal cycle durability, thermal conductivity and erosion resistance. The temperature improvement for hot section gas turbine materials (superalloys & TBCs) has been at the rate of about 50 °C per decade over the last 50 years. In contrast, SPPS YAG TBCs offer the near-term potential of a > 200 °C improvement in temperature capability.

Higher Temperature Thermal Barrier Coatings with the Combined Use of Yttrium Aluminum Garnet and the Solution Precursor Plasma Spray Process

Science.gov (United States)

Gell, Maurice; Wang, Jiwen; Kumar, Rishi; Roth, Jeffery; Jiang, Chen; Jordan, Eric H.

2018-02-01

Gas-turbine engines are widely used in transportation, energy and defense industries. The increasing demand for more efficient gas turbines requires higher turbine operating temperatures. For more than 40 years, yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) has been the dominant thermal barrier coating (TBC) due to its outstanding material properties. However, the practical use of YSZ-based TBCs is limited to approximately 1200 °C. Developing new, higher temperature TBCs has proven challenging to satisfy the multiple property requirements of a durable TBC. In this study, an advanced TBC has been developed by using the solution precursor plasma spray (SPPS) process that generates unique engineered microstructures with the higher temperature yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) to produce a TBC that can meet and exceed the major performance standards of state-of-the-art air plasma sprayed YSZ, including: phase stability, sintering resistance, CMAS resistance, thermal cycle durability, thermal conductivity and erosion resistance. The temperature improvement for hot section gas turbine materials (superalloys & TBCs) has been at the rate of about 50 °C per decade over the last 50 years. In contrast, SPPS YAG TBCs offer the near-term potential of a > 200 °C improvement in temperature capability.

Hydrogen Plasma Processing of Iron Ore

Science.gov (United States)

Sabat, Kali Charan; Murphy, Anthony B.

2017-06-01

Iron is currently produced by carbothermic reduction of oxide ores. This is a multiple-stage process that requires large-scale equipment and high capital investment, and produces large amounts of CO2. An alternative to carbothermic reduction is reduction using a hydrogen plasma, which comprises vibrationally excited molecular, atomic, and ionic states of hydrogen, all of which can reduce iron oxides, even at low temperatures. Besides the thermodynamic and kinetic advantages of a hydrogen plasma, the byproduct of the reaction is water, which does not pose any environmental problems. A review of the theory and practice of iron ore reduction using a hydrogen plasma is presented. The thermodynamic and kinetic aspects are considered, with molecular, atomic and ionic hydrogen considered separately. The importance of vibrationally excited hydrogen molecules in overcoming the activation energy barriers, and in transferring energy to the iron oxide, is emphasized. Both thermal and nonthermal plasmas are considered. The thermophysical properties of hydrogen and argon-hydrogen plasmas are discussed, and their influence on the constriction and flow in the of arc plasmas is considered. The published R&D on hydrogen plasma reduction of iron oxide is reviewed, with both the reduction of molten iron ore and in-flight reduction of iron ore particles being considered. Finally, the technical and economic feasibility of the process are discussed. It is shown that hydrogen plasma processing requires less energy than carbothermic reduction, mainly because pelletization, sintering, and cokemaking are not required. Moreover, the formation of the greenhouse gas CO2 as a byproduct is avoided. In-flight reduction has the potential for a throughput at least equivalent to the blast furnace process. It is concluded that hydrogen plasma reduction of iron ore is a potentially attractive alternative to standard methods.

ICRF Wave Propagation and Absorption in Plasmas with Non-thermal Populations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dumont, R.J.; Phillips, C.K.; Smithe, D.N.

2002-01-01

Some results obtained with the one dimensional, all orders, full wave code METS, which has been successfully employed in the past to describe a number of experiments, are reported. By using massively parallel computers, this code has been extended to handle non-thermal populations. Various physical situations, in which non-Maxwellian species are expected to be encountered, are studied, such as simultaneous neutral beam injection and high harmonic fast wave electron heating or ion cyclotron resonance heating in the presence of fusion products

Electrical and thermal conductivities in dense plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Faussurier, G., E-mail: gerald.faussurier@cea.fr; Blancard, C.; Combis, P.; Videau, L. [CEA, DAM, DIF, F-91297 Arpajon (France)

2014-09-15

Expressions for the electrical and thermal conductivities in dense plasmas are derived combining the Chester-Thellung-Kubo-Greenwood approach and the Kramers approximation. The infrared divergence is removed assuming a Drude-like behaviour. An analytical expression is obtained for the Lorenz number that interpolates between the cold solid-state and the hot plasma phases. An expression for the electrical resistivity is proposed using the Ziman-Evans formula, from which the thermal conductivity can be deduced using the analytical expression for the Lorenz number. The present method can be used to estimate electrical and thermal conductivities of mixtures. Comparisons with experiment and quantum molecular dynamics simulations are done.

Pulsed Plasma Processing of Diesel Engine Exhaust Final Report CRADA No. TC-0336-92-1-C

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Merritt, Bernard T. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Broering, Louis [Cummins Engine Company, Inc., Columbus, IN (United States)

2017-11-09

The goal was to develop an exhaust-gas treatment process for the reduction of NO_x and hydrocarbon from diesel engines. The project began believing that direct chemical reduction on NO_x was possible through the use of non-thermal plasmas. The original CRADA began in 1993 and was scheduled to finish in 1996. It had as its goals three metrics: 1) remove two grams/brake-horse-power-hour of NOx, 2) have no more than five percent energy penalty, and 3) cost no more than ten percent of the engine cost. These goals were all aimed at heavy-duty diesel trucks. This CRADA had its Defense Program funding eliminated by DOE prior to completion in 1995. Prior to loss of funding from DOE, LLNL discovered that due to the large oxygen content in diesel exhaust, direct chemical reduction was not possible. In understanding why, a breakthrough was achieved that combined the use of a non-thermal plasma and a catalyst. This process was named Plasma Assisted Catalytic Reduction (P ACR). Because of this breakthrough, the CRADA became a funds-in only CRADA, once DOE DP funding ended. As a result, the funding decreased from about 1M dollars per year to about $400k per year. Subsequently, progress slowed as well. The CRADA was amended several times to reflect the funds-in nature. At each amendment, the deliverables were modified; the goals remained the same but the focus changed from heavy-duty to lightduty to SUVs. The diesel-engine NO_x problem is similar to the furnace and boiler NO_x emission problem with the added constraint that ammonia-like additives are impractical for a mobile source. Lean-burning gasoline engines are an additional area of application because the standard three-way catalyst is rendered ineffective by the presence of oxygen. In the P ACR process an electrical discharge is used to create a non-thermal plasma that contains oxidative radicals O and OH. These oxidative radicals convert NO to NO₂. Selective catalytic

Novel fragmentation model for pulverized coal particles gasification in low temperature air thermal plasma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jovanović Rastko D.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available New system for start-up and flame support based on coal gasification by low temperature air thermal plasma is planned to supplement current heavy oil system in Serbian thermal power plants in order to decrease air pollutions emission and operational costs. Locally introduced plasma thermal energy heats up and ignites entrained coal particles, thus starting chain process which releases heat energy from gasified coal particles inside burner channel. Important stages during particle combustion, such as particle devolatilisation and char combustion, are described with satisfying accuracy in existing commercial CFD codes that are extensively used as powerful tool for pulverized coal combustion and gasification modeling. However, during plasma coal gasification, high plasma temperature induces strong thermal stresses inside interacting coal particles. These stresses lead to “thermal shock” and extensive particle fragmentation during which coal particles with initial size of 50-100 m disintegrate into fragments of at most 5-10 m. This intensifies volatile release by a factor 3-4 and substantially accelerates the oxidation of combustible matter. Particle fragmentation, due to its small size and thus limited influence on combustion process is commonly neglected in modelling. The main focus of this work is to suggest novel approach to pulverized coal gasification under high temperature conditions and to implement it into commercial comprehensive code ANSYS FLUENT 14.0. Proposed model was validated against experimental data obtained in newly built pilot scale D.C plasma burner test facility. Newly developed model showed very good agreement with experimental results with relative error less than 10%, while the standard built-in gasification model had error up to 25%.

Dispersion in thermal plasma including arbitrary degeneracy and quantum recoil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mushtaq, A.; Melrose, D.B.

2012-01-01

The longitudinal response function for a thermal electron gas was calculated including two quantum effects exactly, degeneracy and the quantum recoil. The Fermi-Dirac distribution was expanded in powers of a parameter that is small in the non-degenerate limit and the response function was evaluated in terms of the conventional plasma dispersion function to arbitrary order in this parameter. The infinite sum was performed in terms of poly logarithms in the long-wavelength and quasi-static limits, giving results that apply for arbitrary degeneracy. The results were applied to the dispersion relations for Langmuir waves and to screening, reproducing known results in the non-degenerate and completely degenerate limits], and generalizing them to arbitrary degeneracy. The occupation number for the completely degenerate limit is shown. The importance of the results regarding to semiconductor plasmas were highlighted. (orig./A.B.)

SUPPRESSION OF PARALLEL TRANSPORT IN TURBULENT MAGNETIZED PLASMAS AND ITS IMPACT ON THE NON-THERMAL AND THERMAL ASPECTS OF SOLAR FLARES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bian, Nicolas H.; Kontar, Eduard P. [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ (United Kingdom); Emslie, A. Gordon, E-mail: n.bian@physics.gla.ac.uk, E-mail: emslieg@wku.edu [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY 42101 (United States)

2016-06-20

The transport of the energy contained in electrons, both thermal and suprathermal, in solar flares plays a key role in our understanding of many aspects of the flare phenomenon, from the spatial distribution of hard X-ray emission to global energetics. Motivated by recent RHESSI observations that point to the existence of a mechanism that confines electrons to the coronal parts of flare loops more effectively than Coulomb collisions, we here consider the impact of pitch-angle scattering off turbulent magnetic fluctuations on the parallel transport of electrons in flaring coronal loops. It is shown that the presence of such a scattering mechanism in addition to Coulomb collisional scattering can significantly reduce the parallel thermal and electrical conductivities relative to their collisional values. We provide illustrative expressions for the resulting thermoelectric coefficients that relate the thermal flux and electrical current density to the temperature gradient and the applied electric field. We then evaluate the effect of these modified transport coefficients on the flare coronal temperature that can be attained, on the post-impulsive-phase cooling of heated coronal plasma, and on the importance of the beam-neutralizing return current on both ambient heating and the energy loss rate of accelerated electrons. We also discuss the possible ways in which anomalous transport processes have an impact on the required overall energy associated with accelerated electrons in solar flares.

Plasma-aided nanofabrication: where is the cutting edge?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ostrikov, K; Murphy, A B

2007-01-01

Plasma-aided nanofabrication is a rapidly expanding area of research spanning disciplines ranging from physics and chemistry of plasmas and gas discharges to solid state physics, materials science, surface science, nanoscience and nanotechnology and related engineering subjects. The current status of the research field is discussed and examples of superior performance and competitive advantage of plasma processes and techniques are given. These examples are selected to represent a range of applications of two major types of plasmas suitable for nanoscale synthesis and processing, namely thermally non-equilibrium and thermal plasmas. Major concepts and terminology used in the field are introduced. The paper also pinpoints the major challenges facing plasma-aided nanofabrication and identifies some emerging topics for future research. (editorial review)

Silicon drift detector based X-ray spectroscopy diagnostic system for the study of non-thermal electrons at Aditya tokamak.

Science.gov (United States)

Purohit, S; Joisa, Y S; Raval, J V; Ghosh, J; Tanna, R; Shukla, B K; Bhatt, S B

2014-11-01

Silicon drift detector based X-ray spectrometer diagnostic was developed to study the non-thermal electron for Aditya tokamak plasma. The diagnostic was mounted on a radial mid plane port at the Aditya. The objective of diagnostic includes the estimation of the non-thermal electron temperature for the ohmically heated plasma. Bi-Maxwellian plasma model was adopted for the temperature estimation. Along with that the study of high Z impurity line radiation from the ECR pre-ionization experiments was also aimed. The performance and first experimental results from the new X-ray spectrometer system are presented.

Analysis of non-equilibrium phenomena in inductively coupled plasma generators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, W.; Panesi, M., E-mail: mpanesi@illinois.edu [University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61822 (United States); Lani, A. [Von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics, Rhode-Saint-Genèse (Belgium)

2016-07-15

This work addresses the modeling of non-equilibrium phenomena in inductively coupled plasma discharges. In the proposed computational model, the electromagnetic induction equation is solved together with the set of Navier-Stokes equations in order to compute the electromagnetic and flow fields, accounting for their mutual interaction. Semi-classical statistical thermodynamics is used to determine the plasma thermodynamic properties, while transport properties are obtained from kinetic principles, with the method of Chapman and Enskog. Particle ambipolar diffusive fluxes are found by solving the Stefan-Maxwell equations with a simple iterative method. Two physico-mathematical formulations are used to model the chemical reaction processes: (1) A Local Thermodynamics Equilibrium (LTE) formulation and (2) a thermo-chemical non-equilibrium (TCNEQ) formulation. In the TCNEQ model, thermal non-equilibrium between the translational energy mode of the gas and the vibrational energy mode of individual molecules is accounted for. The electronic states of the chemical species are assumed in equilibrium with the vibrational temperature, whereas the rotational energy mode is assumed to be equilibrated with translation. Three different physical models are used to account for the coupling of chemistry and energy transfer processes. Numerical simulations obtained with the LTE and TCNEQ formulations are used to characterize the extent of non-equilibrium of the flow inside the Plasmatron facility at the von Karman Institute. Each model was tested using different kinetic mechanisms to assess the sensitivity of the results to variations in the reaction parameters. A comparison of temperatures and composition profiles at the outlet of the torch demonstrates that the flow is in non-equilibrium for operating conditions characterized by pressures below 30 000 Pa, frequency 0.37 MHz, input power 80 kW, and mass flow 8 g/s.

Thermal Plasma Generators with Water Stabilized Arc

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hrabovský, Milan

2009-01-01

Roč. 2, č. 1 (2009), s. 99-104 ISSN 1876-5343 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA202/08/1084 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20430508 Keywords : Thermal plasma * plasma torch * Gerdien arc Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics http://www.bentham.org/open/toppj/openaccess2.htm

Thermal stability of the tokamak plasma edge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stacey, W.M.

1997-01-01

The general linear, fluid, thermal instability theory for the plasma edge has been extended. An analysis of a two-dimensional fluid model of the plasma edge has identified the importance of many previously unappreciated phenomena associated with parallel and gyroviscous forces in the presence of large radial gradients, with large radial or parallel flows, with the temperature dependence of transport coefficients, and with the coupling of temperature, flow and density perturbations. The radiative condensation effect is generalized to include a further destabilizing condensation effect associated with radial heat conduction. Representative plasma edge neutral and impurity densities are found to be capable of driving thermal instabilities in the edge transport barrier and radiative mantle, respectively. (author)

Treatment of methyl orange by nitrogen non-thermal plasma in a corona reactor: The role of reactive nitrogen species

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cadorin, Bruno Mena, E-mail: brunomenacadorin@gmail.com [Department of Chemistry, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (Brazil); Tralli, Vitor Douglas [Department of Chemistry, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (Brazil); Ceriani, Elisa [Department of Chemical Sciences, Università di Padova (Italy); Benetoli, Luís Otávio de Brito [Department of Chemistry, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (Brazil); Marotta, Ester, E-mail: ester.marotta@unipd.it [Department of Chemical Sciences, Università di Padova (Italy); Ceretta, Claudio [Department of Industrial Engineering, Università di Padova (Italy); Debacher, Nito Angelo [Department of Chemistry, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (Brazil); Paradisi, Cristina [Department of Chemical Sciences, Università di Padova (Italy)

2015-12-30

Highlights: • Nitration of methyl orange is one of the main processes in treatment with N{sub 2}-plasma. • MS/MS analysis shows preferred nitration of methyl orange in ortho position. • N{sub 2} plasma, N{sub 2}-PAW, reaction with NO{sub 2}{sup −} or NO{sub 2}{sup −}/H{sub 2}O{sub 2} at pH 2 give the same products. - Abstract: Methyl orange (MO) azo dye served as model organic pollutant to investigate the role of reactive nitrogen species (RNS) in non-thermal plasma (NTP) induced water treatments. The results of experiments in which MO aqueous solutions were directly exposed to N{sub 2}-NTP are compared with those of control experiments in which MO was allowed to react with nitrite, nitrate and hydrogen peroxide, which are species formed in water exposed to N{sub 2}-NTP. Treatment of MO was also performed in PAW, Plasma Activated Water, that is water previously exposed to N{sub 2}-NTP. Both direct N{sub 2}-NTP and N{sub 2}-PAW treatments induced the rapid decay of MO. No appreciable reaction was instead observed when MO was treated with NO{sub 3}{sup −} and H{sub 2}O{sub 2} either under acidic or neutral pH. In contrast, in acidic solutions MO decayed rapidly when treated with NO{sub 2}{sup −} and with a combination of NO{sub 2}{sup −} and H{sub 2}O{sub 2}. Thorough product analysis was carried out by HPLC coupled with UV–vis and ESI–MS/MS detectors. In all experiments in which MO reaction was observed, the major primary product was a derivative nitro-substituted at the ortho position with respect to the N,N-dimethylamino group of MO. The reactions of RNS are discussed and a mechanism for the observed nitration products is proposed.

Microwave induced plasma for solid fuels and waste processing: A review on affecting factors and performance criteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, Guan Sem; Faizal, Hasan Mohd; Ani, Farid Nasir

2017-11-01

High temperature thermal plasma has a major drawback which consumes high energy. Therefore, non-thermal plasma which uses comparatively lower energy, for instance, microwave plasma is more attractive to be applied in gasification process. Microwave-induced plasma gasification also carries the advantages in terms of simplicity, compactness, lightweight, uniform heating and the ability to operate under atmospheric pressure that gains attention from researchers. The present paper synthesizes the current knowledge available for microwave plasma gasification on solid fuels and waste, specifically on affecting parameters and their performance. The review starts with a brief outline on microwave plasma setup in general, and followed by the effect of various operating parameters on resulting output. Operating parameters including fuel characteristics, fuel injection position, microwave power, addition of steam, oxygen/fuel ratio and plasma working gas flow rate are discussed along with several performance criteria such as resulting syngas composition, efficiency, carbon conversion, and hydrogen production rate. Based on the present review, fuel retention time is found to be the key parameter that influences the gasification performance. Therefore, emphasis on retention time is necessary in order to improve the performance of microwave plasma gasification of solid fuels and wastes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Kinetic corrections from analytic non-Maxwellian distribution functions in magnetized plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Izacard, Olivier, E-mail: izacard@llnl.gov [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, L-637, Livermore, California 94550 (United States)

2016-08-15

In magnetized plasma physics, almost all developed analytic theories assume a Maxwellian distribution function (MDF) and in some cases small deviations are described using the perturbation theory. The deviations with respect to the Maxwellian equilibrium, called kinetic effects, are required to be taken into account especially for fusion reactor plasmas. Generally, because the perturbation theory is not consistent with observed steady-state non-Maxwellians, these kinetic effects are numerically evaluated by very central processing unit (CPU)-expensive codes, avoiding the analytic complexity of velocity phase space integrals. We develop here a new method based on analytic non-Maxwellian distribution functions constructed from non-orthogonal basis sets in order to (i) use as few parameters as possible, (ii) increase the efficiency to model numerical and experimental non-Maxwellians, (iii) help to understand unsolved problems such as diagnostics discrepancies from the physical interpretation of the parameters, and (iv) obtain analytic corrections due to kinetic effects given by a small number of terms and removing the numerical error of the evaluation of velocity phase space integrals. This work does not attempt to derive new physical effects even if it could be possible to discover one from the better understandings of some unsolved problems, but here we focus on the analytic prediction of kinetic corrections from analytic non-Maxwellians. As applications, examples of analytic kinetic corrections are shown for the secondary electron emission, the Langmuir probe characteristic curve, and the entropy. This is done by using three analytic representations of the distribution function: the Kappa distribution function, the bi-modal or a new interpreted non-Maxwellian distribution function (INMDF). The existence of INMDFs is proved by new understandings of the experimental discrepancy of the measured electron temperature between two diagnostics in JET. As main results, it

Effects of Non-Maxwellian Plasma Species on ICRF Propagation and Absorption in Toroidal Magnetic Confinement Devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dumont, R.J.; Phillips, C.K.; Smithe, D.N.

2003-01-01

Auxiliary heating supplied by externally launched electromagnetic waves is commonly used in toroidal magnetically confined fusion experiments for profile control via localized heating, current drive and perhaps flow shear. In these experiments, the confined plasma is often characterized by the presence of a significant population of non-thermal species arising from neutral beam injection, from acceleration of the particles by the applied waves, or from copious fusion reactions in future devices. Such non-thermal species may alter the wave propagation as well as the wave absorption dynamics in the plasma. Previous studies have treated the corresponding velocity distributions as either equivalent Maxwellians, or else have included realistic distributions only in the finite Larmor radius limit. In this work, the hot plasma dielectric response of the plasma has been generalized to treat arbitrary distribution functions in the non-relativistic limit. The generalized dielectric tensor has been incorporated into a one-dimensional full wave all-orders kinetic field code. Initial comparative studies of ion cyclotron range of frequency wave propagation and heating in plasmas with nonthermal species, represented by realistic distribution functions or by appropriately defined equivalent Maxwellians, have been completed for some specific experiments and are presented

Thermal de-isolation of silicon microstructures in a plasma etching environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Yong-Seok; Jang, Yun-Ho; Kim, Yong-Kweon; Kim, Jung-Mu

2013-01-01

This paper presents a theoretical and experimental strategy for thermal de-isolation of silicon microstructures during a plasma etching process. Heat sinking blocks and thin metal layers are implemented around a thermally isolated mass to avoid severe spring width losses by a steep temperature rise. Thermal de-isolation significantly reduces the fabrication errors from −51.0% to −9.0% and from −39.5% to −6.7% for spring widths and resonant frequencies, respectively. Thermal de-isolation also reduces the standard deviation of resonant frequencies from 8.7% to 1.5% across a wafer, which clearly demonstrates the proposed method. (paper)

Degradation of sulfur dioxide using plasma technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Estrada M, N.; Garcia E, R.; Pacheco P, M.; Valdivia B, R.; Pacheco S, J.

2013-01-01

This paper presents the electro-chemical study performed for sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) treatment using non thermal plasma coupled to a nano structured fluid bed enhancing the toxic gas removal and the adsorption of acids formed during plasma treatment, more of 80% of removal was obtained. Non thermal plasma was ignited by dielectric barrier discharge (Dbd). The research was developed through an analysis of the chemical kinetics of the process and experimental study of degradation; in each experiment the electrical parameters and the influence of carbon nano structures were monitored to establish the optimal conditions of degradation. We compared the theoretical and experimental results to conclude whether the proposed model is correct for degradation. (Author)

Non-equilibrium nitrogen DC-arc plasma treatment of TiO2 nanopowder.

Science.gov (United States)

Suzuki, Yoshikazu; Gonzalez-Aguilar, José; Traisnel, Noel; Berger, Marie-Hélène; Repoux, Monique; Fulcheri, Laurent

2009-01-01

Non-equilibrium nitrogen DC-arc plasma treatment of a commercial TiO2 anatase nanopowder was examined to obtain nitrogen-doped TiO2. By using a non-thermal discharge at low current (150 mA) and high voltage (1200 V) using pure N2 gas, light yellowish-gray TiO2 powder was successfully obtained within a short period of 5-10 min. XPS and TEM-EELS studies confirmed the existence of doped nitrogen. Due to the relatively mild conditions (plasma power of 180 W), metastable anatase structure and fine crystallite size of TiO2 (ca. 10 nm) were maintained after the plasma treatment. The in-flight powder treatment system used in this study is promising for various type of powder treatment.

Non-linear collective phenomena in dusty plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsytovich, V N; Morfill, G E

2004-01-01

Dusty plasmas are unusual states of matter where the interactions between the dust grains can be collective and are not a sum of all pair particle interactions. This state of matter is appropriate to form non-linear dissipative collective self-organized structures. It is found that the potential around the grains can be over-screened leading to a new phenomenon-collective attraction of pairs of large charge grains of equal sign. The grain clouds can self-contract and their collapse is terminated at distances where the interaction becomes repulsive. The homogeneous dusty plasma distribution is universally unstable to form structures. The potential of the collective attraction is proportional to the square of the dimensionless parameter P = n d Z d /n i , where n d and n i are the average dust and ion densities, respectively, and Z d is the dust charge in units of electron charge. The collective attraction is determined by finite grain size and by the presence of absorption of plasma flux on grains. The physics of attraction is related to the space charge accumulation caused by collective flux disturbances. The collective attraction operates for systems with size larger than the mean free path for ion-dust absorption, the condition met in many existing low temperature dusty plasma experiments, in edge plasmas of fusion devices and in space dusty plasmas. The collective attraction exceeds the previously known non-collective attraction such as shadow attraction or wake attraction. The collective attraction can be responsible for pairing of dust grains (this process is completely classical in contrast to the known pairing in superconductivity) and can serve as the main process for the formation of more complicated dust complexes up to dust-plasma crystals. The equilibrium structures formed by collective attraction have universal properties and can exist in a limited domain of parameters (similar to the equilibrium balance known for stars). The balance conditions for

Toroidal confinement of non-neutral plasma - A new approach to high-beta equilibrium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshida, Z.; Ogawa, Y.; Morikawa, J.

2001-01-01

Departure from the quasi-neutral condition allows us to apply significant two-fluid effects that impart a new freedom to the design of high-performance fusion plasma. The self-electric field in a non-neutralized plasma induces a strong ExB-drift flow. A fast flow produces a large hydrodynamic pressure that can balance with the thermal pressure of the plasma. Basic concepts to produce a toroidal non-neutral plasma have been examined on the internal-conductor toroidal confinement device Proto-RT. A magnetic separatrix determines the boundary of the confinement region. Electrons describe chaotic orbits in the neighborhood of the magnetic null point on the separatrix. The chaos yields collisionless diffusion of electrons from the particle source (electron gun) towards the confinement region. Collisionless heating also occurs in the magnetic null region, which can be applied to produce a plasma. (author)

Fiscal 1998 achievement report on regional consortium research and development project. Venture business fostering regional consortium in its 2nd year--Creation of key industries (Development of multi-purpose high-precision plasma process); 1998 nendo tamokuteki koseido netsu plasma process no kaihatsu seika hokokusho. 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-03-01

Research and development is conducted of a new material process using thermal plasma for manufacturing new ceramics efficiently and for forming a high-quality spray-deposited ceramic coating high in melting point. In the development of devices, addition of an insulation convergence section enables the construction of a plasma jet generator which operates with stability across a range from atmospheric pressure through 10{sup -1} Torr and exhibits high thermal efficiency of approximately 70%. In the study of basic matters, the thermal plasma process is experimented for its optimization and the interaction between thermal plasma and injected materials is elucidated. In the development of a technology for manufacturing high-quality sprayed coatings, optimum plasma spraying conditions are established for each grain size of alumina/titania composite materials, with the rate of one component to the other taken into consideration. The optimum plasma spraying conditions are determined after examining the state of fused powder recovered after plasma spraying, porosity, the rate of coating adhesion, etc. It is found that coatings formed by high-power thermal plasma application are attributable to the vapor-solid process and, thanks to the finding, a crystal orientation control technology is developed for such coatings. (NEDO)

PLASMA EMISSION BY WEAK TURBULENCE PROCESSES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ziebell, L. F.; Gaelzer, R. [Instituto de Física, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS (Brazil); Yoon, P. H. [Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States); Pavan, J., E-mail: luiz.ziebell@ufrgs.br, E-mail: rudi.gaelzer@ufrgs.br, E-mail: yoonp@umd.edu, E-mail: joel.pavan@ufpel.edu.br [Instituto de Física e Matemática, UFPel, Pelotas, RS (Brazil)

2014-11-10

The plasma emission is the radiation mechanism responsible for solar type II and type III radio bursts. The first theory of plasma emission was put forth in the 1950s, but the rigorous demonstration of the process based upon first principles had been lacking. The present Letter reports the first complete numerical solution of electromagnetic weak turbulence equations. It is shown that the fundamental emission is dominant and unless the beam speed is substantially higher than the electron thermal speed, the harmonic emission is not likely to be generated. The present findings may be useful for validating reduced models and for interpreting particle-in-cell simulations.

Plasma heating by non-linear wave-Plasma interaction | Echi ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

We simulate the non-linear interaction of waves with magnetized tritium plasma with the aim of determining the parameter values that characterize the response of the plasma. The wave-plasma interaction has a non-conservative Hamiltonian description. The resulting system of Hamilton's equations is integrated numerically ...

Propagation of sound and thermal waves in an ionizing-recombining hydrogen plasma: Revision of results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Di Sigalotti, Leonardo G.; Sira, Eloy; Tremola, Ciro

2002-01-01

The propagation of acoustic and thermal waves in a heat conducting, hydrogen plasma, in which photoionization and photorecombination [H + +e - H+hν(χ)] processes are progressing, is re-examined here using linear analysis. The resulting dispersion equation is solved analytically and the results are compared with previous solutions for the same plasma model. In particular, it is found that wave propagation in a slightly and highly ionized hydrogen plasma is affected by crossing between acoustic and thermal modes. At temperatures where the plasma is partially ionized, waves of all frequencies propagate without the occurrence of mode crossing. These results disagree with those reported in previous work, thereby leading to a different physical interpretation of the propagation of small linear disturbances in a conducting, ionizing-recombining, hydrogen plasma

Bridge between fusion plasma and plasma processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohno, Noriyasu; Takamura, Shuichi

2008-01-01

In the present review, relationship between fusion plasma and processing plasma is discussed. From boundary-plasma studies in fusion devices new applications such as high-density plasma sources, erosion of graphite in a hydrogen plasma, formation of helium bubbles in high-melting-point metals and the use of toroidal plasmas for plasma processing are emerging. The authors would like to discuss a possibility of knowledge transfer from fusion plasmas to processing plasmas. (T. Ikehata)

Effects of a non thermal plasma treatment alone or in combination with gemcitabine in a MIA PaCa2-luc orthotopic pancreatic carcinoma model.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura Brullé

Full Text Available Pancreatic tumors are the gastrointestinal cancer with the worst prognosis in humans and with a survival rate of 5% at 5 years. Nowadays, no chemotherapy has demonstrated efficacy in terms of survival for this cancer. Previous study focused on the development of a new therapy by non thermal plasma showed significant effects on tumor growth for colorectal carcinoma and glioblastoma. To allow targeted treatment, a fibered plasma (Plasma Gun was developed and its evaluation was performed on an orthotopic mouse model of human pancreatic carcinoma using a MIA PaCa2-luc bioluminescent cell line. The aim of this study was to characterize this pancreatic carcinoma model and to determine the effects of Plasma Gun alone or in combination with gemcitabine. During a 36 days period, quantitative BLI could be used to follow the tumor progression and we demonstrated that plasma gun induced an inhibition of MIA PaCa2-luc cells proliferation in vitro and in vivo and that this effect could be improved by association with gemcitabine possibly thanks to its radiosensitizing properties.

Effects of a non thermal plasma treatment alone or in combination with gemcitabine in a MIA PaCa2-luc orthotopic pancreatic carcinoma model.

Science.gov (United States)

Brullé, Laura; Vandamme, Marc; Riès, Delphine; Martel, Eric; Robert, Eric; Lerondel, Stéphanie; Trichet, Valérie; Richard, Serge; Pouvesle, Jean-Michel; Le Pape, Alain

2012-01-01

Pancreatic tumors are the gastrointestinal cancer with the worst prognosis in humans and with a survival rate of 5% at 5 years. Nowadays, no chemotherapy has demonstrated efficacy in terms of survival for this cancer. Previous study focused on the development of a new therapy by non thermal plasma showed significant effects on tumor growth for colorectal carcinoma and glioblastoma. To allow targeted treatment, a fibered plasma (Plasma Gun) was developed and its evaluation was performed on an orthotopic mouse model of human pancreatic carcinoma using a MIA PaCa2-luc bioluminescent cell line. The aim of this study was to characterize this pancreatic carcinoma model and to determine the effects of Plasma Gun alone or in combination with gemcitabine. During a 36 days period, quantitative BLI could be used to follow the tumor progression and we demonstrated that plasma gun induced an inhibition of MIA PaCa2-luc cells proliferation in vitro and in vivo and that this effect could be improved by association with gemcitabine possibly thanks to its radiosensitizing properties.

Production of coloured glass-ceramics from incinerator ash using thermal plasma technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, T W; Huang, M Z; Tzeng, C C; Cheng, K B; Ueng, T H

2007-08-01

Incineration is a major treatment process for municipal solid waste in Taiwan. It is estimated that over 1.5 Mt of incinerator ash are produced annually. This study proposes using thermal plasma technology to treat incinerator ash. Sintered glass-ceramics were produced using quenched vitrified slag with colouring agents added. The experimental results showed that the major crystalline phases developed in the sintered glass-ceramics were gehlenite and wollastonite, but many other secondary phases also appeared depending on the colouring agents added. The physical/mechanical properties, chemical resistance and toxicity characteristic leaching procedure of the coloured glass-ceramics were satisfactory. The glass-ceramic products obtained from incinerator ash treated with thermal plasma technology have great potential for building applications.

Radioactive waste combustion / vitrification under arc plasma: thermal and dynamic modelling; Combustion - vitrification de dechets radioactifs par plasma d'arc: modelisation de la thermique et de la dynamique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barthelemy, B

2003-07-01

This thesis concerns the thermal and dynamic modelling for a combustion/vitrification process of surrogate radioactive waste under transferred arc plasma. The writer presents the confinement processes for radioactive waste using arc plasma and the different software used to model theses processes. This is followed by a description of our experimental equipment including a plasma arc reactor and an inductive system allowing the homogenization of glass temperature. A combustion/vitrification test is described. Thermal and material balances were discussed. The temperature fields of plasma arc and the glass frit conductivity are measured. Finally, the writer describes and clarifies the equations solved for the simulations of the electrically plasma arc and the glass melting including the thin layer of glass frit coating the crucible cold walls. The modelling results are presented in the form of spatial distribution of temperature, velocity and volume power... (author)

Radioactive waste combustion-vitrification under arc plasma: thermal and dynamic modelling; Combustion - vitrification de dechets radioactifs par plasma d'arc: modelisation de la thermique et de la dynamique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barthelemy, B

2003-06-01

This thesis concerns the thermal and dynamic modelling for a combustion/vitrification process of surrogate radioactive waste under transferred arc plasma. The writer presents the confinement processes for radioactive waste using arc plasma and the different software used to model theses processes. This is followed by a description of our experimental equipment including a plasma arc reactor and an inductive system allowing the homogenization of glass temperature. A combustion/vitrification test is described. Thermal and material balances were discussed. The temperature fields of plasma arc and the glass frit conductivity are measured. Finally, the writer describes and clarifies the equations solved for the simulations of the electrically plasma arc and the glass melting including the thin layer of glass frit coating the crucible cold walls. The modelling results are presented in the form of spatial distribution of temperature, velocity and voluminal power... (author)

Characteristics of ceramic oxide nanoparticles synthesized using radio frequency produced thermal plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dhamale, Gayatri D.; Mathe, V.L.; Bhoraskar, S.V.; Ghorui, S.

2015-01-01

Thermal plasma devices with their unique processing capabilities due to extremely high temperature and steep temperature gradient play an important role in synthesis of ultrafine powders in the range of 100nm or less. High temperature gas phase synthesis in Radio Frequency (RF) thermal plasma reactor is an attractive route for mass production of refractory nanoparticles, especially in the case of rare earth oxides. Here we report synthesis of Yttrium Oxide (Y_2O_3), Neodymium Oxide (Nd_2O_3) and Aluminum Oxide (Al_2O_3) in an inductively coupled radio frequency thermal plasma reactor. Synthesized nanoparticles find wide application in various fields like gate dielectrics, photocatalytic applications, laser devices and photonics. Nano sized Yttrium oxide, Neodymium Oxide and Aluminum oxide powders were separately synthesized in an RF plasma reactor starting with micron sized irregular shaped precursor powders. The system was operated at 3MHz in atmospheric pressure at different power levels. Synthesized powders were scrapped out from different deposition locations inside the reactor and characterized for their phase, morphology, particle size, crystallinity and other characteristic features. Highly crystalline nature of the synthesized particles, narrow size distribution, location dependent phase formation, and distinct variation in the inherent defect states compared to the bulk are some of the important characteristic features observed

Dynamic plasma screening effects on electron capture process in hydrogenic ion fully stripped ion collisions in dense plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Y.

1997-01-01

In dense plasmas, dynamic plasma screening effects are investigated on electron capture from hydrogenic ions by past fully stripped ions. The classical Bohr Lindhard model has been applied to obtain the electron capture probability. The interaction potential in dense plasmas is represented in terms of the longitudinal dielectric function. The classical straight-line trajectory approximation is applied to the motion of the projectile ion in order to visualize the electron capture probability as a function of the impact parameter, projectile energy, and plasma parameters. The electron capture probability including the dynamic plasma screening effect is always greater than that including the static plasma screening effect. When the projectile velocity is smaller than the electron thermal velocity, the dynamic polarization screening effect becomes the static plasma screening effect. When the projectile velocity is greater than the plasma electron thermal velocity, the interaction potential is almost unshielded. The difference between the dynamic and static plasma screening effects is more significant for low energy projectiles. It is found that the static screening formula obtained by the Debye Hueckel model overestimates the plasma screening effects on the electron capture processes in dense plasmas. copyright 1997 American Institute of Physics

Effects of gap and elevated pressure on ethanol reforming in a non-thermal plasma reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoang, Trung Q; Zhu Xinli; Lobban, Lance L; Mallinson, Richard G

2011-01-01

Production of hydrogen for fuel cell vehicles, mobile power generators and for hydrogen-enhanced combustion from ethanol is demonstrated using energy-efficient non-thermal plasma reforming. A tubular reactor with a multipoint electrode system operated in pulsed mode was used. Complete conversion can be achieved with high selectivity (based on ethanol) of H 2 and CO of 111% and 78%, respectively, at atmospheric pressure. An elevated pressure of 15 psig shows improvement of selectivity of H 2 and CO to 120% and 87%, with a significant reduction of C 2 H x side products. H 2 selectivity increased to 127% when a high ratio (29.2) of water-to-ethanol feed was used. Increasing CO 2 selectivity is observed at higher water-to-ethanol ratios indicating that the water gas shift reaction occurs. A higher productivity and lower C 2 H x products were observed at larger gas gaps. The highest overall energy efficiency achieved, including electrical power consumption, was 82% for all products or 66% for H 2 only.

PREFACE: 12th High-Tech Plasma Processes Conference (HTPP-12)

Science.gov (United States)

Gleizes, Alain; Ghedini, Emanuele; Gherardi, Matteo; Sanibondi, Paolo; Dilecce, Giorgio

2012-12-01

The High-Tech Plasma Processes - 12th European Plasma Conference (HTPP-12) was held in Bologna (Italy) on 24-29 June 2012. The conference series started in 1990 as a thermal plasma conference and gradually expanded to include other topic fields as well. Now the High-Tech Plasma Processes - European Plasma Conference (HTPP) is a bi-annual international conference based in Europe with topics encompassing the whole area of plasma processing science. The aim of the conference is to bring different scientific communities together, facilitate the contacts between science, technology and industry and provide a platform for the exploration of both fundamental topics and new applications of plasmas. Thanks to the efforts of the conference chairman, Professor Vittorio Colombo and of the co-chair, Professor Piero Favia, a well balanced participation from both the communities of thermal and nonthermal plasma researchers was achieved; this resulted in just about 196 attendees from 39 countries, with 8 plenary and 15 invited talks, plus 50 oral and 140 poster contributions. This volume of Journal of Physics: Conference Series gathers papers from regular contributions of HTPP-12; each contribution submitted for publication has been peer reviewed and the Editors are very grateful to the referees for their careful support in improving the original manuscripts. In the end, 39 manuscripts were accepted for publication, covering different topics of plasma processing science: from plasma fundamentals and modelling to source design and process diagnostics, from nanomaterial synthesis to surface modification, from waste treatment to plasma applications in a liquid environment. It is an honour to present this volume of Journal of Physics: Conference Series and we deeply thank the authors for their enthusiastic and high-grade contribution. Finally, we would like to thank the conference chairmen, the members of the steering committee, the international scientific committee, the local

Effects of vortex-like and non-thermal ion distributions on non-linear dust-acoustic waves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mamun, A.A.; Cairns, R.A.; Shukla, P.K.

1996-01-01

The effects of vortex-like and non-thermal ion distributions are incorporated in the study of nonlinear dust-acoustic waves in an unmagnetized dusty plasma. It is found that owing to the departure from the Boltzmann ion distribution to a vortex-like phase space distribution, the dynamics of small but finite amplitude dust-acoustic waves is governed by a modified Kortweg endash de Vries equation. The latter admits a stationary dust-acoustic solitary wave solution, which has larger amplitude, smaller width, and higher propagation velocity than that involving adiabatic ions. On the other hand, consideration of a non-thermal ion distribution provides the possibility of coexistence of large amplitude rarefactive as well as compressive dust-acoustic solitary waves, whereas these structures appear independently when the wave amplitudes become infinitely small. The present investigation should help us to understand the salient features of the non-linear dust-acoustic waves that have been observed in a recent numerical simulation study. copyright 1996 American Institute of Physics

Atmospheric-pressure plasma technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kogelschatz, U

2004-01-01

Major industrial plasma processes operating close to atmospheric pressure are discussed. Applications of thermal plasmas include electric arc furnaces and plasma torches for generation of powders, for spraying refractory materials, for cutting and welding and for destruction of hazardous waste. Other applications include miniature circuit breakers and electrical discharge machining. Non-equilibrium cold plasmas at atmospheric pressure are obtained in corona discharges used in electrostatic precipitators and in dielectric-barrier discharges used for generation of ozone, for pollution control and for surface treatment. More recent applications include UV excimer lamps, mercury-free fluorescent lamps and flat plasma displays

Non-thermal plasma exhaust aftertreatment: Are all plasmas the same?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Whealton, J.H.; Hanson, G.R.; Storey, J.M.; Raridon, R.J.; Armfield, J.S.; Bigelow, T.S.; Graves, R.L. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)

1997-12-31

The authors describe initial experiments employing 5.5 GHz pulsed microwave power, which should result in enhanced chemistry compared to present state-of-the-art plasma aftertreatments by; reducing plasma electric field shielding, increasing availability of atomic nitrogen, exploiting surface charging of dielectrics, avoiding (low field) threshold initiated discharges, and achieving a higher high energy tail on the electron distribution function. As an example, the authors decided to test for NO reduction in N{sub 2}. While this reaction is not a complete description of the exhaust issues by any means, they thought it would demonstrate the technology proposed.

Propagation of thermal and hydromagnetic waves in an ionizing-recombining hydrogen plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Di Sigalotti, Leonardo G.; Sira, Eloy; Rendon, Otto; Tremola, Ciro; Mendoza-Briceno, Cesar A.

2004-01-01

The propagation of thermal and magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves in a heat-conducting, hydrogen plasma, threaded by an external uniform magnetic field (B) and in which photoionization and photorecombination [H + +e - H+hν(χ)] processes are progressing, is investigated here using linear analysis. The resulting dispersion equation is solved analytically for varied strength (β<<1 and ∼1) and orientation of the magnetic field, where β denotes the ratio of plasma to magnetic pressures. Application of this model to the interstellar medium shows that heat conduction governs the propagation of thermal waves only at relatively high frequencies regardless of the plasma temperature, strength, and orientation of the magnetic field. When the direction of wave propagation is held perpendicular to B (i.e., k perpendicular B), the magnetosonic phase velocity is closely Alfvenic for β<<1, while for β∼1 both the hydrostatic and magnetic pressures determine the wave velocity. As long as k parallel B, the fast (transverse) magnetosonic wave becomes an Alfven wave for all frequencies independent of the plasma temperature and field strength, while the slow (longitudinal) magnetosonic wave becomes a pure sound wave. Amplification of thermal and MHD waves always occur at low frequencies and preferentially at temperatures for which the plasma is either weakly or partially ionized. Compared to previous analysis for the same hydrogen plasma model with B=0, the presence of the magnetic field makes the functional dependence of the physical quantities span a longer range of frequencies, which becomes progressively longer as the field strength is increased

Realization of thermally durable close-packed 2D gold nanoparticle arrays using self-assembly and plasma etching

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sivaraman, Sankar K; Santhanam, Venugopal

2012-01-01

Realization of thermally and chemically durable, ordered gold nanostructures using bottom-up self-assembly techniques are essential for applications in a wide range of areas including catalysis, energy generation, and sensing. Herein, we describe a modular process for realizing uniform arrays of gold nanoparticles, with interparticle spacings of 2 nm and above, by using RF plasma etching to remove ligands from self-assembled arrays of ligand-coated gold nanoparticles. Both nanoscale imaging and macroscale spectroscopic characterization techniques were used to determine the optimal conditions for plasma etching, namely RF power, operating pressure, duration of treatment, and type of gas. We then studied the effect of nanoparticle size, interparticle spacing, and type of substrate on the thermal durability of plasma-treated and untreated nanoparticle arrays. Plasma-treated arrays showed enhanced chemical and thermal durability, on account of the removal of ligands. To illustrate the application potential of the developed process, robust SERS (surface-enhanced Raman scattering) substrates were formed using plasma-treated arrays of silver-coated gold nanoparticles that had a silicon wafer or photopaper as the underlying support. The measured value of the average SERS enhancement factor (2 × 10 5 ) was quantitatively reproducible on both silicon and paper substrates. The silicon substrates gave quantitatively reproducible results even after thermal annealing. The paper-based SERS substrate was also used to swab and detect probe molecules deposited on a solid surface. (paper)

Development of plasma properties along thermal plasma jet generated by hybrid water-argon torch

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kavka, Tetyana; Hrabovský, Milan

2002-01-01

Roč. 52, supplement D (2002), s. 637-642 ISSN 0011-4626. [Symposium on Plasma Physics and Technology/20th./. Prague, 10.06.2002-13.06.2002] Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z2043910 Keywords : thermal plasma, plasma jet, enthalpy probe Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics Impact factor: 0.311, year: 2002

Preliminary experiments on wastes degradation by thermal plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cota S, G.; Pacheco S, J.; Segovia R, A.; Pena E, R.; Merlo S, L.

1996-01-01

This work presents the fundamental aspects involved in the installation and start up of an experimental equipment for the hazardous wastes degradation using the thermal plasma technology. It is mentioned about the form in which the thermal plasma is generated and the characteristics that its make to be an appropriate technology for the hazardous wastes degradation. Just as the installed structures for to realize the experiments and results of the first studies on degradation, using nylon as problem sample. (Author)

Non-equilibrium effects in the processing of materials using plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mangolini, Lorenzo [Univ. of California, Riverside, CA (United States)

2016-06-02

We have provided experimental evidence that nanoparticles in plasma are heated to temperatures that are significantly higher than that of the background gas. This result gives experimental confirmation to a number of theoretical/computational studies that predicted this behavior. Moreover, this study has provided with the first measurement of the temperature of nanoparticles in a processing dusty plasma, i.e. under conditions that are relevant for the growth and modification of nanopowders.

Decontamination of Bacillus subtilis Spores in a Sealed Package Using a Non-thermal Plasma System

Science.gov (United States)

Keener, Kevin M.; Jensen, J. L.; Valdramidis, V. P.; Byrne, E.; Connolly, J.; Mosnier, J. P.; Cullen, P. J.

The safety of packaged food and medical devices is a major concern to consumers and government officials. Recent inventions (PK-1 and PK-2) based on the principles of non-thermal, atmospheric plasma has shown significant reduction in bacterial contamination inside a sealed package. The objective of this study was to evaluate the PK-1 and PK-2 systems in the reduction of Bacillus subtilis spores using packages containing air or modified atmosphere (MA) gas (65% O2/30% CO2/5% N2). The experimental design consisted of the following parameters: (1) two voltage conditions: 13.5 kV with 1.0 cm electrode gap (PK-1) and 80 kV with 4.5 cm electrode gap (PK-2), (2) two treatment conditions: inside and outside the field of ionization, (3) PK-1 and PK-2 optimized treatment times: 300 and 120 s, respectively, and (4) two package gas types: air and modified atmosphere (MA) gas (65% O2/30% CO2/5% N2). Measurements included: (1) bacterial reductions of Bacillus subtilis var. niger (B. atrophaeus), (2) ozone, nitrous oxides (NOx), and carbon monoxide concentrations, and (3) relative humidity. Bacillus subtilis (1.7 × 106/strip) were loaded into sterile uncovered petri dishes and treated with ionization generated in packages using air or MA gas blend. Samples were treated for 300 s (PK-1) or 120 s (PK-2) and stored at room ­temperature for 24 h. Results documented relative humidity (RH) ranged from 20% to 30%. After 300 s of PK-1 treatment (13.5 kV/44 W/1.0 cm gap), ozone concentrations were 6,000 ppm (air) and 7,500 ppm (MA). After 120 s of PK-2 treatment (80 kV/150 W/4.5 cm), ozone concentrations were 7,500 ppm (air) and 12,000 ppm (MA). Ozone and NOx concentrations were non-detect (ND) after 24 h. PK-1 carbon monoxide levels were package ionization process.

Power supply controlled for plasma torch generation; Fuente de alimentacion controlada para la generacion de un plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Diaz Z, S

1997-12-31

The high density of energy furnished by thermal plasma is profited in a wide range of applications, such as those related with welding fusion, spray coating and at the present in waste destruction. The waste destruction by plasma is a very attractive process because the remaining products are formed by inert glassy grains and non-toxic gases. The main characteristics of thermal plasmas are presented in this work. Techniques based on power electronics are utilized to achieve a good performance in thermal plasma generation. This work shown the design and construction of three phase control system for electric supply of thermal plasma torch, with 250 kw of capacity, as a part of the project named `Destruction of hazard wastes by thermal plasma` actually working in the Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares (ININ). The characteristics of thermal plasma and its generation are treated in the first chapter. The A C controllers by thyristors applied in three phase arrays are described in the chapter II, talking into account the power transformer, rectifiers bank and aliasing coil. The chapter III is dedicated in the design of the trigger module which controls the plasma current by varying the trigger angle of the SCR`s; the protection and isolating unit are also presented in this chapter. The results and conclusions are discussed in chapter IV. (Author).

The Influence of Anode Inner Contour on Atmospheric DC Plasma Spraying Process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kui Wen

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In thermal plasma spraying process, anode nozzle is one of the most important components of plasma torch. Its inner contour controls the characteristics of plasma arc/jet, determining the motion and heating behaviors of the in-flight particles and hence influencing the coating quality. In this study, the effects of anode inner contour, standard cylindrical nozzle, and cone-shaped Laval nozzle with conical shape diverging exit (CSL nozzle on the arc voltage, net power, thermal efficiency, plasma jet characteristics, in-flight particle behaviors, and coating properties have been systematically investigated under atmospheric plasma spraying conditions. The results show that the cylindrical nozzle has a higher arc voltage, net power, and thermal efficiency, as well as the higher plasma temperature and velocity at the torch exit, while the CSL nozzle has a higher measured temperature of plasma jet. The variation trends of the plasma jet characteristics for the two nozzles are comparable under various spraying parameters. The in-flight particle with smaller velocity of CSL nozzle has a higher measured temperature and melting fraction. As a result, the coating density and adhesive strength of CSL nozzle are lower than those of cylindrical nozzle, but the deposition efficiency is greatly improved.

Thermal Expansion of Vacuum Plasma Sprayed Coatings

Science.gov (United States)

Raj, S V.; Palczer, A. R.

2010-01-01

Metallic Cu-8%Cr, Cu-26%Cr, Cu-8%Cr-1%Al, NiAl and NiCrAlY monolithic coatings were fabricated by vacuum plasma spray deposition processes for thermal expansion property measurements between 293 and 1223 K. The corrected thermal expansion, (DL/L(sub 0) varies with the absolute temperature, T, as (DL/L(sub 0) = A(T - 293)(sup 3) + BIT - 293)(sup 2) + C(T - 293) + D, where, A, B, C and D are thermal, regression constants. Excellent reproducibility was observed for all of the coatings except for data obtained on the Cu-8%Cr and Cu-26%Cr coatings in the first heat-up cycle, which deviated from those determined in the subsequent cycles. This deviation is attributed to the presence of residual stresses developed during the spraying of the coatings, which are relieved after the first heat-up cycle. In the cases of Cu-8%Cr and NiAl, the thermal expansion data were observed to be reproducible for three specimens. The linear expansion data for Cu-8% Cr and Cu-26%Cr agree extremely well with rule of mixture (ROM) predictions. Comparison of the data for the Cu-8%Cr coating with literature data for Cr and Cu revealed that the thermal expansion behavior of this alloy is determined by the Cu-rich matrix. The data for NiAl and NiCrAlY are in excellent agreement with published results irrespective of composition and the methods used for processing the materials. The implications of these results on coating GRCop-84 copper alloy combustor liners for reusable launch vehicles are discussed.

The 26th IEEE international conference on plasma science

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-01-01

Some of the sessions covered by this conference are: Basic Processes in Fully and Partially Ionized Plasmas; Slow Wave Devices; Laser-Produced Plasma; Non-Equilibrium Plasma Processing; Space Plasmas and Partially Ionized Gases; Microwave Plasmas; Inertial Confinement Fusion; Plasma Diagnostics; Computational Plasma Physics; Microwave Systems; Laser Produced Plasmas and Dense Plasma Focus; Intense Electron and Ion Beams; Fast Wave Devices; Spherical Configurations and Ball Lightning; Thermal Plasma Chemistry and Processing and Environmental Issues in Plasma Science; Plasma, Ion, and Electron Sources; Fast Wave Devices and Intense Beams; Fast Z-pinches and X-ray Lasers; Plasma Opening Switches; Plasma for Lighting; Intense Beams; Vacuum Microwaves; Magnetic Fusion Energy; and Plasma Thrusters and Arcs. Separate abstracts were prepared for some of the papers in this volume

Diagnostic methods of thermal dusty plasma flows

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nefedov, A.P.

1995-01-01

The presence in the high-temperature flows of condensed disperse phase (CDP) particles may lead either to an increase of the electron number density n e if the particles assume a positive charge or to its decrease if the charge is negative. The existence of CDP also may effect on optical parameters of the thermal dusty plasma flows, on heat and radiative transfer in the plasma. The entire range of states, from a Debye plasma to a highly nonideal system of charged particles, is realized in a thermal dusty plasma under standard conditions T=2000-3000 K, n e =10 8 - 10 14 cm -3 . The advanced probe and optical diagnostic instruments are needed to study the optical and electrophysical properties of thermal dusty plasma flows. The diagnostic techniques must give the data about such parameters of gas and dispersed phase as temperatures of gas and particles, number densities of electrons, atoms and ions of alkali metals, sizes, velocities and concentrations of CDP particles. It should be noted that number density of alkali metal atoms and gas temperature may be measured by the well known full absorption and generalized reversal methods. This paper describes the probe and optical techniques for diagnostic of dusty plasma flows developed in High Energy Density Research Center of Russian Academy of Sciences. The Forward Angle Scattering Transmissometer (FAST) allows measurement of the average size (Sauter diameter), mass number density, and refractive index of particles in the 0.5-15.0 gm size range. The basis of the method is a dependence of the measured extinction of radiation upon an angular acceptance aperture of the photo detector. The FAST instrument allows one to determine the mass density and the Sauter diameter of a polydispersion of particles without a priori specification of the particle size distribution model and exact data about the article refractive index

Diagnostic methods of thermal dusty plasma flows

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nefedov, A.P.

1995-01-01

The presence in the high-temperature flows of condensed disperse phase (CDP) particles may lead either to an increase of the electron number density n e if the particles assume a positive charge or to its decrease if the charge is negative. The existence of CDP also may effect on optical parameters of the thermal dusty plasma flows, on heat and radiative transfer in the plasma. The entire range of states, from a Debye plasma to a highly nonideal system of charged particles, is realized in a thermal dusty plasma under standard conditions T=2000-3000 K, n e =10 8 -10 14 cm -3 . The advanced probe and optical diagnostic instruments are needed to study the optical and electrophysical properties of thermal dusty plasma flows. The diagnostic techniques must give the data about such parameters of gas and dispersed phase as temperatures of gas and particles, number densities of electrons, atoms and ions of alkali metals, sizes, velocities and concentrations of CDP particles. It should be noted that number density of alkali metal atoms and gas temperature may be measured by the well known full absorption and generalized reversal methods. This paper describes the probe and optical techniques for diagnostic of dusty plasma flows developed in High Energy Density Research Center of Russian Academy of Sciences. The Forward Angle Scattering Transmissometer (FAST) allows measurement of the average size (Sauter diameter), mass number density, and refractive index of particles in the 0.5-15.0 μm size range. The basis of the method is a dependence of the measured extinction of radiation upon an angular acceptance aperture of the photo detector. The FAST instrument allows one to determine the mass density and the Sauter diameter of a polydispersion of particles without a priori specification of the particle size distribution model and exact data about the particle refractive index

Thermal radiation properties of PTFE plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xiangyang; Wang, Siyu; Zhou, Yang; Wu, Zhiwen; Xie, Kan; Wang, Ningfei

2017-06-01

To illuminate the thermal transfer mechanism of devices adopting polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) as ablation materials, the thermal radiation properties of PTFE plasma are calculated and discussed based on local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) and optical thin assumptions. It is clarified that line radiation is the dominant mechanism of PTFE plasma. The emission coefficient shows an opposite trend for both wavelength regions divided by 550 nm at a temperature above 15 000 K. The emission coefficient increases with increasing temperature and pressure. Furthermore, it has a good log linear relation with pressure. Equivalent emissivity varies complexly with temperature, and has a critical point between 20 000 K to 25 000 K. The equivalent cross points of the average ionic valence and radiation property are about 10 000 K and 15 000 K for fully single ionization.

Stationary self-focusing of Gaussian laser beam in relativistic thermal quantum plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patil, S. D.; Takale, M. V.

2013-01-01

In the present paper, we have employed the quantum dielectric response in thermal quantum plasma to model relativistic self-focusing of Gaussian laser beam in a plasma. We have presented an extensive parametric investigation of the dependence of beam-width parameter on distance of propagation in relativistic thermal quantum plasma. We have studied the role of Fermi temperature in the phenomenon of self-focusing. It is found that the quantum effects cause much higher oscillations of beam-width parameter and better relativistic focusing of laser beam in thermal quantum plasma in comparison with that in the relativistic cold quantum plasma and classical relativistic plasma. Our computations show more reliable results in comparison to the previous works

A numerical study of EGS heat extraction process based on a thermal non-equilibrium model for heat transfer in subsurface porous heat reservoir

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jiliang; Jiang, Fangming

2016-02-01

With a previously developed numerical model, we perform a detailed study of the heat extraction process in enhanced or engineered geothermal system (EGS). This model takes the EGS subsurface heat reservoir as an equivalent porous medium while it considers local thermal non-equilibrium between the rock matrix and the fluid flowing in the fractured rock mass. The application of local thermal non-equilibrium model highlights the temperature-difference heat exchange process occurring in EGS reservoirs, enabling a better understanding of the involved heat extraction process. The simulation results unravel the mechanism of preferential flow or short-circuit flow forming in homogeneously fractured reservoirs of different permeability values. EGS performance, e.g. production temperature and lifetime, is found to be tightly related to the flow pattern in the reservoir. Thermal compensation from rocks surrounding the reservoir contributes little heat to the heat transmission fluid if the operation time of an EGS is shorter than 15 years. We find as well the local thermal equilibrium model generally overestimates EGS performance and for an EGS with better heat exchange conditions in the heat reservoir, the heat extraction process acts more like the local thermal equilibrium process.

Treatment of mixed wastes by thermal plasma discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diaz A, L.V.

2007-01-01

The present study has as purpose to apply the technology of thermal plasma in the destruction of certain type of waste generated in the ININ. As first instance, origin, classification and disposition of the radioactive waste generated in the ININ is identified. Once identified the waste, the waste to treat is determined based on: the easiness of treating him with plasma, classification and importance. Later on, a substance or compound settles down (sample model) that serves as indicative of the waste for its physical-chemical characteristics, this is made because in the Thermal Plasma Applications Laboratory is not had the license to work with radioactive material. The sample model and the material to form the vitreous matrix are characterized before and after the treatment in order to evaluating their degradation and vitrification. During the treatment by means of the thermal plasma, the appropriate conditions are determined for the degradation and vitrification of the waste. Also, it is carried out an energy balance in the system to know the capacity to fuse the material depending the transfer of existent heat between the plasma and the material to treat. Obtaining favorable results, it thought about to climb in the project and by this way to help to solve one of the environmental problems in Mexico, as they are it the mixed wastes. (Author)

Measurement of thermal plasma jet temperature and velocity by laser light lineshape analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Snyder, S.C.; Reynolds, L.D.

1991-01-01

Two important parameters of thermal plasma jets are kinetic or gas temperatures and flow velocity. Gas temperatures have been traditionally measured using emission spectroscopy, but this method depends on either the generally unrealistic assumption of the existence of local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) within the plasma, or the use of various non-LTE or partial LTE models to relate the intensity of the emission lines to the gas temperature. Plasma jet velocities have been measured using laser Doppler velocimetry on particles injected into the plasma. However, this method is intrusive and it is not known how well the particle velocities represent the gas velocity. Recently, plasma jet velocities have been measured from the Doppler shift of laser light scattered by the plasma. In this case, the Doppler shift was determined from the difference in the transmission profile of a high resolution monochromator between red shifted and blue shifted scattered light. A direct approach to measuring localized temperatures and velocities is afforded by high resolution scattered light lineshape measurements. The linewidth of laser light scattered by atoms and ions can be related to the kinetic temperature without LTE assumptions, while a shift in the peak position relative to the incident laser lineshape yields the gas velocity. We report in this paper work underway to measure gas temperatures and velocities in an argon thermal plasma jet using high resolution lineshape analysis of scattered laser light

Influence of pulsed plasma streams processing on wear behavior of steels in different friction conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bandura, A.N.; Byrka, O.V.; Tereshin, V.I.; Bovda, A.M.; Tortika, A.S.

2000-01-01

Pulsed plasma streams processing was applied for surface modification of industrial steel samples. Different types of wear tests (pin-on-disk,flat-on-flat, abrasive,cavitation) were carried out for samples irradiated by pulsed nitrogen plasma streams. There was achieved essential decrease of wear and tear of processed surfaces of all kinds of steels including previously thermally quenched ones. Obtained results are of importance for both determination of optimal regimes of plasma streams processing and the most resulting use of pulsed plasma streams for technology purpose, i.e. for identification of wear modes and optimal friction conditions for steels processed by plasma streams

DC Thermal Plasma Design and Utilization for the Low Density Polyethylene to Diesel Oil Pyrolysis Reaction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hossam A. Gabbar

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The exponential increase of plastic production produces 100 million tonnes of waste plastics annually which could be converted into hydrocarbon fuels in a thermal cracking process called pyrolysis. In this research work, a direct current (DC thermal plasma circuit is designed and used for conversion of low density polyethylene (LDPE into diesel oil in a laboratory scale pyrolysis reactor. The experimental setup uses a 270 W DC thermal plasma at operating temperatures in the range of 625 °C to 860 °C for a low density polyethylene (LDPE pyrolysis reaction at pressure = −0.95, temperature = 550 °C with τ = 30 min at a constant heating rate of 7.8 °C/min. The experimental setup consists of a vacuum pump, closed system vessel, direct current (DC plasma circuit, and a k-type thermocouple placed a few millimeters from the reactant sample. The hydrocarbon products are condensed to diesel oil and analyzed using flame ionization detector (FID gas chromatography. The analysis shows 87.5% diesel oil, 1,4-dichlorobenzene (Surr, benzene, ethylbenzene and traces of toluene and xylene. The direct current (DC thermal plasma achieves 56.9 wt. % of diesel range oil (DRO, 37.8 wt. % gaseous products and minimal tar production. The direct current (DC thermal plasma shows reliability, better temperature control, and high thermal performance as well as the ability to work for long operation periods.

Performance of plasma facing materials under intense thermal loads in tokamaks and stellarators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Linke, J.; Hirai, T.; Roedig, M.; Singheiser, L. [Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH, EURATOM Association, Juelich (Germany)

2003-07-01

Beside quasi-stationary plasma operation, short transient thermal pulses with deposited energy densities in the order of several ten MJm{sup -2} are a serious concern for next step devices, in particular for tokamak devices such as ITER. The most serious of these transient events are plasma disruptions. Here a considerable fraction of the plasma energy is deposited on a localized surface area in the divertor strike zone region; the time scale of these events is typically in the order of 1 ms. In spite of the fact that a dense cloud of ablation vapour will form above the strike zone, only partial shielding of the divertor armour from incident plasma particles will occur. As a consequence, thermal shock induced crack formation, vaporization, surface melting, melt layer ejection, and particle emission induced by brittle destruction processes will limit the lifetime of the components. In addition, dust particles (neutron activated metals or tritium enriched carbon) are a serious concern form a safety point of view. Other transient heat loads which occasionally occur in magnetic confinement experiments such as instabilities in the plasma positioning (vertical displacement events) also may cause irreversible damage to plasma facing components (PFC), particularly to metals such as beryllium and tungsten. Another serious damage to PFCs is due to intense fluxes of 14 MeV neutrons in D-T-burning plasma devices. Integrated neutron fluence of several ten dpa in future thermonuclear fusion reactors will degrade essential physical properties of the components (e.g. thermal conductivity); another serious concern is the embrittlement of the heat sink and the plasma facing materials (PFM). (orig.)

Non-thermal plasma modified growth and differentiation process of Capsicum annuum PP805 Godiva in in vitro conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Safari, Nasrin; Iranbakhsh, Alireza; Ardebili, Zahra Oraghi

2017-05-01

With the aim of evaluating the possible impacts of cold plasma on the structure and growth pattern of Capsicum annuum, the current study was carried out. The seeds were exposed to an argon-derived plasma (0.84 W cm-2 surface power densities) for 0, 1 or 2 minutes. Plasma-treated seeds were grown in the Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium or MS medium supplemented with BA and IAA. The presence of purple stems was recorded in plasma-treated plants grown in the medium supplemented with hormones. The recorded morphological differences were dependent on the exposure time of plasma treatments and/or the presence of hormones in the culture media. Plasma treatment of 1 minute had an improving effect on the shoot and root lengths as well as total leaf area, whereas plasma treatment of 2 minutes had an adverse effect. In contrast to the 1 minute treatment, plasma treatment of 2 minutes significantly impaired growth and hence reduced the total biomass. Alterations in stem diameter and differences in tissue patterns (especially in the vascular system) occurred, and were mainly dependent on the plasma exposure time and/or the presence of hormones. This is a first report on the effects of cold plasma on plant growth in in vitro conditions.

On the course of fusion processes occurring in the plasma focus - an investigation by using time-resolved neutron spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmidt, R.

1987-01-01

The plasma focus POSEIDON emits up to 2x10 11 neutrons during some 100 ns, if it is operated with deuterium. This very high neutron production cannot be explained by a thermal neutron production mechanism starting out from the measured values of temperature (about 1 KeV) and deuteron density (10 18 cm -3 ). There is no doubt, that there exist strong ''beam-target''-processes of the deuterons, which cause such a high suprathermal neutron production. The neutron emission of the plasma focus POSEIDON appears in two pulses, which are associated to the two main phases of the hot and dense plasma. The first is the pinch or quiescent phase, in which a stable plasma column over 100 or 150 ns exists. The second phase is characterized by turbulence processes and starts with the end of the stable phase with the on-set of the m=0-instabilities and ends with the decay of the plasma. Both phases of neutron production are studied by time-resolved analysis of the neutron anisotropy factor and by time and spatial-resolved measurements of the neutron emission. Hence it follows, that there exist during both phases different non thermal neutron production processes, which are caused by different deuteron acceleration mechanisms. To get information on these deuteron acceleration mechanisms it is appropriate to analyse the neutron spectra of the plasma focus, because the half-width and the shape of the measured spectra are related to the energy and the angular distribution of the accelerated deuterons. (orig./GG) [de

Synthesis of {gamma}-aluminium oxynitride spinel using thermal plasma technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Panda, Pravuram; Singh, S. K.; Sinha, S. P. [School of Applied Science (Physics), KIIT University, Bhubaneswar 751024 (India); Advanced Materials Technology Department, IMMT (CSIR), Bhubaneswar 751013 (India); School of Applied Science (Physics), KIIT University, Bhubaneswar 751024 (India)

2012-07-23

The synthesis technique of {gamma}-AlON in NH{sub 3} plasma using extended arc thermal plasma reactor have been reported. Dense cubic AlON spinel was synthesized in liquid state by fusion of mixture of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} and AlN powder under thermal plasma. The density of the fused AlON was found to be 3.64 g/cc which is 98.11% of theoretical value. The formation of AlON was confirmed from XRD and Raman studies. Well faceted structure of plasma fused AlON was observed in FE-SEM micrograph.

On the propagation of hydromagnetic waves in a plasma of thermal and suprathermal components

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Nagendra; Sikka, Himanshu

2007-12-01

The propagation of MHD waves is studied when two ideal fluids, thermal and suprathermal gases, coupled by magnetic field are moving with the steady flow velocity. The fluids move independently in a direction perpendicular to the magnetic field but gets coupled along the field. Due to the presence of flow in suprathermal and thermal fluids there appears forward and backward waves. All the forward and backward modes propagate in such a way that their rate of change of phase speed with the thermal Mach number is same. It is also found that besides the usual hydromagnetic modes there appears a suprathermal mode which propagates with faster speed. Surface waves are also examined on an interface formed with composite plasma (suprathermal and thermal gases) on one side and the other is a non-magnetized plasma. In this case, the modes obtained are two or three depending on whether the sound velocity in thermal gas is equal to or greater than the sound velocity in suprathermal gas. The results lead to the conclusion that the interaction of thermal and suprathermal components may lead to the occurrence of an additional mode called suprathermal mode whose phase velocity is higher than all the other modes.

First experimental result of toroidal confinement of non-neutral plasma on Proto-RT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Himura, H.; Yoshida, Z.; Morikawa, J.

1999-01-01

Recently, an internal-ring device named Proto-RT (Prototype Ring Trap) was constructed at University of Tokyo, and experiments on the device have been just initiated. The goal of Proto-RT is to explore an innovative way which has a possibility to attain a plasma equilibrium with extremely high-β (β>1) in a toroidal geometry using non-neutral condition. At the first series of the experiments, pure electron plasma (n e ∼10 12 m -3 ) is successfully confined inside a separatrix. No disruption is so far observed. The confinement time of the electron plasma is the order of 1 sec. A shear effect of magnetic fields seems to result in longer confinement. The non-neutrality of Δn e ∼10 12 m -3 is already beyond the value required to produce an enough self-electric field E in plasma, causing a strong ExB flow thoroughly all over the plasma where the hydrodynamic pressure of the flow is predicted to balance with the thermal pressure of the plasma. (author)

Cytocompatibility of Plasma and Thermally Treated Biopolymers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Petr Slepička

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This paper is focused on the surface characterization of plasma and consequently thermally treated biocompatible polymers. PLLA (poly(L-lactide acid and PMP (poly-4-methyl-1-pentene are studied. The influence of Ar plasma treatment on the surface polarity of substrate measured immediately after treatment and during the polymer surface aging is studied. Surface roughness, morphology, wettability, and surface chemistry were determined. Plasma treatment leads to significant changes in PLLA surface morphology and chemistry, with the PMP being slightly affected. The higher resistance to plasma fluence results in smaller ablation of PMP than that of PLLA. The plasma treatment improves cell adhesion and proliferation on the PMP. Plasma treatment of PLLA influences mostly the homogeneity of adhered and proliferated VSMC.

Fluctuations from dissipation in a hot non-Abelian plasma

CERN Document Server

Litim, Daniel F; Litim, Daniel F.; Manuel, Cristina

2000-01-01

We consider a transport equation of the Boltzmann-Langevin type for non-Abelian plasmas close to equilibrium to derive the spectral functions of the underlying microscopic fluctuations from the entropy. The correlator of the stochastic source is obtained from the dissipative processes in the plasma. This approach, based on classical transport theory, exploits the well-known link between a linearized collision integral, the entropy and the spectral functions. Applied to the ultra-soft modes of a hot non-Abelian (classical or quantum) plasma, the resulting spectral functions agree with earlier findings obtained from the microscopic theory. As a by-product, it follows that theorem.

Experimental approaches for studying non-equilibrium atmospheric plasma jets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shashurin, A., E-mail: ashashur@purdue.edu [School of Aeronautics & Astronautics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907 (United States); Keidar, M. [Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia 20052 (United States)

2015-12-15

This work reviews recent research efforts undertaken in the area non-equilibrium atmospheric plasma jets with special focus on experimental approaches. Physics of small non-equilibrium atmospheric plasma jets operating in kHz frequency range at powers around few Watts will be analyzed, including mechanism of breakdown, process of ionization front propagation, electrical coupling of the ionization front with the discharge electrodes, distributions of excited and ionized species, discharge current spreading, transient dynamics of various plasma parameters, etc. Experimental diagnostic approaches utilized in the field will be considered, including Rayleigh microwave scattering, Thomson laser scattering, electrostatic streamer scatterers, optical emission spectroscopy, fast photographing, etc.

Thermal Plasma Decomposition Of Nickel And Cobalt Compounds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Woch M.

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the study on manufacturing of nickel and cobalt powders by thermal plasma decomposition of the carbonates of these metals. It was shown the dependence of process parameters and grain size of initial powder on the composition of final product which was ether metal powder, collected in the container as well as the nanopowder with crystallite size of 70 - 90 nm, collected on the inner wall of the reaction chamber. The occurrence of metal oxides in the final products was confirmed and discussed.

What makes a thermal plasma suitable for hazardous waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benocci, R.; Florio, R.; Galassi, A.; Paolicchio, M.; Sindoni, E.

1997-01-01

The basic transport and thermodynamic characteristic of a thermal plasma are analysed in order to emphasize those properties that make a high-temperature source profitable and suitable over the conventional devices for hazardous waste treatment. In addition a survey of the basic reaction sequence and apparatus units is made together with the different approaches to thermal plasma waste treatments

Collective radio-emission from plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Papadopoulos, K.; Freund, H.P.

1979-01-01

Collective radiation processes operating in laboratory and space plasmas are reviewed with an emphasis towards astrophysical applications. Particular stress is placed on the physics involved in the various processes rather than in the detailed derivation of the formulas. Radiation processes from stable non-thermal, weakly turbulent and strongly turbulent magnetized and unmagnetized plasmas are discussed. The general theoretical ideas involved in amplification processes such as stimulated scattering are presented along with their application to free electron and plasma lasers. Direct radio-emission of electromagnetic waves by linear instabilities driven by beams or velocity anisotropies are shown to be of relevance in space applications. Finally, as an example of the computational state of the art pertaining to plasma radiation, a study of the type III solar radio bursts is presented. (orig.)

Non-exponential dynamic relaxation in strongly nonequilibrium nonideal plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morozov, I V; Norman, G E

2003-01-01

Relaxation of kinetic energy to the equilibrium state is simulated by the molecular dynamics method for nonideal two-component non-degenerate plasmas. Three limiting examples of initial states of strongly nonequilibrium plasma are considered: zero electron velocities, zero ion velocities and zero velocities of both electrons and ions. The initial non-exponential stage, its duration τ nB and subsequent exponential stages of the relaxation process are studied for a wide range of the nonideality parameter and the ion mass

Direct plasma interaction with living tissue

Science.gov (United States)

Fridman, Gregory

For some time, plasma has been used in medicine to cauterize or cut tissue using heat and mechanical energy. In the recent decade, some researchers around the world have started to investigate how gas jets that pass through thermal plasma can be employed in medicine. This thesis presents the first investigation of biomedical uses of non-thermal plasma discharge which comes in direct contact with living tissue. It is demonstrated that the direct application of non-thermal plasma in air can cause rapid deactivation of bacteria on surfaces of tissues without causing any visible tissue damage. Medical need for such a device is discussed. Construction and operation of various types of non-thermal plasma power supplies and many types of treatment electrodes are presented as well. Application of this plasma to living organisms is shown to be safe from both the electrical perspective and from the biological perspective. Biological safety is revealed through a series of differential skin toxicity trials on human cadaver tissue, live hairless mouse skin tissue, live pig skin tissue, and finally in an open wound model on pigs. Direct non-thermal plasma in air is shown to deactivate bacteria about 100 times faster than indirect application using jets. A series of experiments reveal that this effectiveness is due to the ability of direct discharge to bring charges to tissue surfaces. It is demonstrated that neither ultraviolet (UV) radiation nor neutral active species such as hydroxyl radicals or ozone produced in plasma are responsible for the main effect on bacteria. Although much additional work remains on establishing detailed mechanism by which charges from plasma achieve this effect, the work carried out in this thesis clearly demonstrates that direct application of non-thermal plasma in air can be a very useful tool in medicine.

Power supply controlled for plasma torch generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diaz Z, S.

1996-01-01

The high density of energy furnished by thermal plasma is profited in a wide range of applications, such as those related with welding fusion, spray coating and at the present in waste destruction. The waste destruction by plasma is a very attractive process because the remaining products are formed by inert glassy grains and non-toxic gases. The main characteristics of thermal plasmas are presented in this work. Techniques based on power electronics are utilized to achieve a good performance in thermal plasma generation. This work shown the design and construction of three phase control system for electric supply of thermal plasma torch, with 250 kw of capacity, as a part of the project named 'Destruction of hazard wastes by thermal plasma' actually working in the Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares (ININ). The characteristics of thermal plasma and its generation are treated in the first chapter. The A C controllers by thyristors applied in three phase arrays are described in the chapter II, talking into account the power transformer, rectifiers bank and aliasing coil. The chapter III is dedicated in the design of the trigger module which controls the plasma current by varying the trigger angle of the SCR's; the protection and isolating unit are also presented in this chapter. The results and conclusions are discussed in chapter IV. (Author)

Transition Region Emission and the Energy Input to Thermal Plasma in Solar Flares

Science.gov (United States)

Holman, Gordon D.; Holman, Gordon D.; Dennis, Brian R.; Haga, Leah; Raymond, John C.; Panasyuk, Alexander

2005-01-01

Understanding the energetics of solar flares depends on obtaining reliable determinations of the energy input to flare plasma. X-ray observations of the thermal bremsstrahlung from hot flare plasma provide temperatures and emission measures which, along with estimates of the plasma volume, allow the energy content of this hot plasma to be computed. However, if thermal energy losses are significant or if significant energy goes directly into cooler plasma, this is only a lower limit on the total energy injected into thermal plasma during the flare. We use SOHO UVCS observations of O VI flare emission scattered by coronal O VI ions to deduce the flare emission at transition region temperatures between 100,000 K and 1 MK for the 2002 July 23 and other flares. We find that the radiated energy at these temperatures significantly increases the deduced energy input to the thermal plasma, but by an amount that is less than the uncertainty in the computed energies. Comparisons of computed thermal and nonthermal electron energies deduced from RHESSI, GOES, and UVCS are shown.

Non-Fourier based thermal-mechanical tissue damage prediction for thermal ablation.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xin; Zhong, Yongmin; Smith, Julian; Gu, Chengfan

2017-01-02

Prediction of tissue damage under thermal loads plays important role for thermal ablation planning. A new methodology is presented in this paper by combing non-Fourier bio-heat transfer, constitutive elastic mechanics as well as non-rigid motion of dynamics to predict and analyze thermal distribution, thermal-induced mechanical deformation and thermal-mechanical damage of soft tissues under thermal loads. Simulations and comparison analysis demonstrate that the proposed methodology based on the non-Fourier bio-heat transfer can account for the thermal-induced mechanical behaviors of soft tissues and predict tissue thermal damage more accurately than classical Fourier bio-heat transfer based model.

Electron temperature determination in LTE and non-LTE plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eddy, T.L.

1983-01-01

This article discusses how most experimental investigations assume a type of ''thermal equilibrium'' in which the excited levels are assumed to be populated according to the electron kinetic temperature, in the determination of electron temperature in LTE and non-LTE plasmas. This is justified on the basis that electron collisions dominate the equilibration of adjacent excited levels as shown by Byron, Stabler and Boartz. The comparison of temperature values calculated by various common methods as a check for local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTDE) or local thermal equilibrium (LTE) of the upper excited levels and the free electrons has been shown to indicate the excitation temperature in all cases utilized. Thomas shows that the source function of the first excited level may be dominated by non-local radiation, which would usually result in a different population than local collisional excitation would provide. Ionization from upper levels is by collisional means. The result may yield different valued excitation and electron temperatures

Numerical Modelling of Wood Gasification in Thermal Plasma Reactor

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hirka, Ivan; Živný, Oldřich; Hrabovský, Milan

2017-01-01

Roč. 37, č. 4 (2017), s. 947-965 ISSN 0272-4324 Institutional support: RVO:61389021 Keywords : Plasma modelling * CFD * Thermal plasma reactor * Biomass * Gasification * Syngas Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics OBOR OECD: Fluids and plasma physics (including surface physics) Impact factor: 2.355, year: 2016 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11090-017-9812-z

Large-amplitude dust acoustic shocklets in non-Maxwellian dusty plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, S.; Naeem, Ismat; Mirza, Arshad M.

2017-10-01

The formation and propagation of fully nonlinear dust-acoustic (DA) waves and shocks are studied in a non-Maxwellian thermal dusty plasma which is composed of Maxwellian electrons and nonthermal energetic ions with a neutralizing background of negatively charged dust grains. For this purpose, we have solved dust dynamical equations along with quasineutrality equation by using a diagonalization matrix technique. A set of two characteristic wave equations is obtained, which admits both analytical and numerical solutions. Taylor expansion in the small-amplitude limit ( Φ ≪ 1 ) leads to nonlinear effective phase and shock speeds accounting for nonthermal energetic ions. It is numerically shown that DA pulses can be developed into DA shocklets involving the negative electrostatic potential, dust fluid velocity, and dust number density. These structures are significantly influenced by the ion-nonthermality, dust thermal correction, and temporal variations. However, the amplitudes of solitary and shock waves are found smaller in case of Cairns-distributed ions as compared to Kappa-distributed ions due to smaller linear and nonlinear effective phase speeds that cause smaller nonlinearity effects. The present results should be useful for understanding the nonlinear characteristics of large-amplitude DA excitations and nonstationary shocklets in a laboratory non-Maxwellian dusty plasma, where nonthermal energetic ions are present in addition to Maxwellian electrons.

Oxidation of clofibric acid in aqueous solution using a non-thermal plasma discharge or gamma radiation

Science.gov (United States)

Madureira, Joana; Ceriani, Elisa; Pinhão, Nuno; Marotta, Ester; Melo, Rita; Cabo Verde, Sandra; Paradisi, Cristina; Margaça, Fernanda M. A.

2017-11-01

In this work, we study degradation of clofibric acid (CFA) in aqueous solution using either ionizing radiation from a $^{60}$Co source or a non-thermal plasma produced by discharges in the air above the solution. The results obtained with the two technologies are compared in terms of effectiveness of CFA degradation and its by-products. In both cases the CFA degradation follows a quasi-exponential decay in time well modelled by a kinetic scheme which considers the competition between CFA and all reaction intermediates for the reactive species generated in solution as well as the amount of the end product formed. A new degradation law is deduced to explain the results. Although the end-product CO$_2$ was detected and the CFA conversion found to be very high under the studied conditions, HPLC analysis reveals several degradation intermediates still bearing the aromatic ring with the chlorine substituent. The extent of mineralization is rather limited. The energy yield is found to be higher in the gamma radiation experiments.

The thermal evolution of targets under plasma focus pulsed ion implantation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanchez, G.; Feugeas, J.

1997-01-01

Pulsed ion beam implantation with plasma focus has proved to be an effective method of metal surface treatment for tribological purposes. Nevertheless, the pulsed nature and the continuous energy spectrum of the ion beams differ from those of the standard ion implantation processes. In this paper a model of the thermal evolution of the surface layers of stainless steel, titanium and copper, during and after nitrogen and argon ion beam incidence, is presented using the finite-difference method. In the calculations, the geometry and physical characteristics of the ion beams, the single-ion-solid interaction process and the thermal properties of the materials were used. The results showed a strong thermal effect consisting in the generation of transitory heating slopes and heating speeds as high as ∼3600 K μm -1 and ∼40 K ns -1 respectively, with maximum temperatures that can reach even the material evaporation point at the surface layers. The cooling down process, through the thermal conduction mechanism at the target bulk, turns out to be fast enough to produce the complete thermal relaxation of the target in only a few microseconds after the end of the ion beam incidence. The results presented are contrasted with experiments performed in similar conditions to those used in the numerical model. (Author)

Development of plasma cutting process at observation of environmental requirements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Czech, J.; Matusiak, J.; Pasek-Siurek, H.

1997-01-01

Plasma cutting is one of the basic methods for thermal cutting of metals. It is characterized by high productivity and quality of the cut surface. However, the plasma cutting process is one of the most harmful processes for environment and human health. It results from many agents being a potential environmental risk The large amount of dust and gases emitted during the process as well as an intensive radiation of electric arc and excessive noise are considered as the most harmful hazards. The existing ventilation and filtration systems are not able to solve all problems resulting from the process. Plasma cutting under water is worthy of notice, especially during an advancement of plasma cutting process, because of human safety and environment protection. Such a solution allows to reduce considerably the emission of dust and gases, as well as to decrease the noise level and ultraviolet radiation. An additional advantage of underwater plasma cutting is a reduction in the width of material heating zone and a decrease in strains of elements being cut. However, the productivity of this process is a little lower what results in an increase in cutting cost. In the paper, it has been presented the results of the investigations made at the Institute of Welding in Gliwice on the area of plasma cutting equipment with energy-saving inverter power supplies used in automated processes of underwater plasma cutting as well as the results of testing of welding environment contamination and safety hazards. (author)

Towards the understanding of non-thermal airplasma action: effects on bacteria and fibroblasts

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Lunov, Oleg; Zablotskyy, Vitaliy A.; Churpita, Olexandr; Jäger, Aleš; Polívka, Leoš; Syková, Eva; Terebova, N.; Kulikov, A.; Kubinová, Šárka; Dejneka, Alexandr

2016-01-01

Roč. 6, č. 30 (2016), 25286-25292 ISSN 2046-2069 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LM2011026; GA MŠk(CZ) LO1309 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 ; RVO:68378041 Keywords : non-thermal plasma * bactericidal effects * medical applications Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics Impact factor: 3.108, year: 2016

Endogenous magnetic reconnection and associated high energy plasma processes

Science.gov (United States)

Coppi, B.; Basu, B.

2018-02-01

An endogenous reconnection process involves a driving factor that lays inside the layer where a drastic change of magnetic field topology occurs. A process of this kind is shown to take place when an electron temperature gradient is present in a magnetically confined plasma and the evolving electron temperature fluctuations are anisotropic. The width of the reconnecting layer remains significant even when large macroscopic distances are considered. In view of the fact that there are plasmas in the Universe with considerable electron thermal energy contents this feature can be relied upon in order to produce generation or conversion of magnetic energy, high energy particle populations and momentum and angular momentum transport.

Dynamics and structure of ignition process in plasma. Ignition dynamics and structure of laboratory plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagasaki, Kazunobu; Takamura, Shuichi; Razzak, Md. Abdur; Uesugi, Yoshihiko; Yoshimura, Yasuo; Cappa, Alvaro

2008-01-01

The dynamics and structure of plasma production are stated by the results of two experiments such as the radio frequency thermal plasmas produced by inductively coupled plasma technique at atmospheric pressure and the second harmonic ECH. The first experiment results explained transition from the electrostatic discharge mode of forming streamer to the induced discharge mode after forming the discharge channel that the streamer connected to in the azimuth direction. The other experiment explained the dynamics which the initial plasma produced at the ECH resonance point spread in the direction of radius. The divergence and transition related to the nonlinear process were observed independently existing the magnetic field or incident power. The experiment devices, conditions, results, and modeling are reported. (S.Y.)

Surface modification of gutta-percha cones by non-thermal plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Prado, Maíra, E-mail: maira@metalmat.ufrj.br [Department of Metallurgic and Materials Engineering, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro – UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Menezes, Marilia Santana de Oliveira [Department of Metallurgic and Materials Engineering, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro – UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Gomes, Brenda Paula Figueiredo de Almeida [Department of Restorative Dentistry, Endodontics Division, Piracicaba Dental School, State University of Campinas - UNICAMP, Piracicaba, SP (Brazil); Barbosa, Carlos Augusto de Melo [Department of Clinical Dentistry, Endodontic Division, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro – UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Athias, Leonardo [Social Indicators Division, Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Simão, Renata Antoun [Department of Metallurgic and Materials Engineering, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro – UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2016-11-01

This study was designed to evaluate the effects of Oxygen and Argon plasma on gutta-percha surfaces. A total of 185 flat smooth gutta-percha surfaces were used. Samples were divided into groups: control: no plasma treatment; Oxygen: treatment with Oxygen plasma for 1 min; Argon: treatment with Argon plasma for 1 min. Samples were evaluated topographically by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy; and chemically by Fourier Transform-infrared Spectroscopy. A goniometer was used to determine the surface free energy and the wettability of the endodontic sealers. Additionally 60 bovine teeth were filled using pellets of gutta-percha (control, oxygen and argon plasma) and the sealers. Teeth were evaluated by push-out and microleakage tests. Data were statistically analyzed using specific tests. Argon plasma did not change the surface topography, while Oxygen plasma led to changes. Both treatments chemically modified the gutta-percha surface. Argon and Oxygen plasma increased the surface free energy and favored the wettability of AH Plus and Pulp Canal Sealer EWT. Regarding bond strength analysis, for AH Plus sealer, both plasma treatments on gutta-percha favored the bond strength to dentin. However, for Pulp Canal Sealer, there is no statistically significant influence. For leakage test, dye penetration occurred between sealer and dentin in all groups. In conclusion, Oxygen plasma led to both topographic and chemical changes in the gutta-percha surface, while Argon plasma caused only chemical changes. Both treatments increased the surface free energy, favoring the wettability of AH Plus and Pulp Canal Sealer EWT sealers and influenced positively in the adhesion and leakage. - Highlights: • Argon plasma did not change the gutta-percha surface. • Oxygen plasma led to topographic changes. • Both treatments chemically modified the gutta-percha surface. • Treatments increased the surface free energy and favored the wettability of sealers. • Plasma

Surface modification of gutta-percha cones by non-thermal plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prado, Maíra; Menezes, Marilia Santana de Oliveira; Gomes, Brenda Paula Figueiredo de Almeida; Barbosa, Carlos Augusto de Melo; Athias, Leonardo; Simão, Renata Antoun

2016-01-01

This study was designed to evaluate the effects of Oxygen and Argon plasma on gutta-percha surfaces. A total of 185 flat smooth gutta-percha surfaces were used. Samples were divided into groups: control: no plasma treatment; Oxygen: treatment with Oxygen plasma for 1 min; Argon: treatment with Argon plasma for 1 min. Samples were evaluated topographically by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy; and chemically by Fourier Transform-infrared Spectroscopy. A goniometer was used to determine the surface free energy and the wettability of the endodontic sealers. Additionally 60 bovine teeth were filled using pellets of gutta-percha (control, oxygen and argon plasma) and the sealers. Teeth were evaluated by push-out and microleakage tests. Data were statistically analyzed using specific tests. Argon plasma did not change the surface topography, while Oxygen plasma led to changes. Both treatments chemically modified the gutta-percha surface. Argon and Oxygen plasma increased the surface free energy and favored the wettability of AH Plus and Pulp Canal Sealer EWT. Regarding bond strength analysis, for AH Plus sealer, both plasma treatments on gutta-percha favored the bond strength to dentin. However, for Pulp Canal Sealer, there is no statistically significant influence. For leakage test, dye penetration occurred between sealer and dentin in all groups. In conclusion, Oxygen plasma led to both topographic and chemical changes in the gutta-percha surface, while Argon plasma caused only chemical changes. Both treatments increased the surface free energy, favoring the wettability of AH Plus and Pulp Canal Sealer EWT sealers and influenced positively in the adhesion and leakage. - Highlights: • Argon plasma did not change the gutta-percha surface. • Oxygen plasma led to topographic changes. • Both treatments chemically modified the gutta-percha surface. • Treatments increased the surface free energy and favored the wettability of sealers. • Plasma

INFERENCE OF HEATING PROPERTIES FROM “HOT” NON-FLARING PLASMAS IN ACTIVE REGION CORES. I. SINGLE NANOFLARES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barnes, W. T.; Bradshaw, S. J. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, TX 77251-1892 (United States); Cargill, P. J., E-mail: will.t.barnes@rice.edu [Space and Atmospheric Physics, The Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College, London SW7 2BW (United Kingdom)

2016-09-20

The properties that are expected of “hot” non-flaring plasmas due to nanoflare heating in active regions are investigated using hydrodynamic modeling tools, including a two-fluid development of the Enthalpy Based Thermal Evolution of Loops code. Here we study a single nanoflare and show that while simple models predict an emission measure distribution extending well above 10 MK, which is consistent with cooling by thermal conduction, many other effects are likely to limit the existence and detectability of such plasmas. These include: differential heating between electrons and ions, ionization non-equilibrium, and for short nanoflares, the time taken for the coronal density to increase. The most useful temperature range to look for this plasma, often called the “smoking gun” of nanoflare heating, lies between 10{sup 6.6} and 10{sup 7} K. Signatures of the actual heating may be detectable in some instances.

Plasma sheath in non-Maxwellian plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimizu, Takuo; Horigome, Takashi

1992-01-01

Reviewing many theoretical and experimental works on the electron-energy distributions (EEDF) of various plasmas, we point out that many plasmas have EEDF of non-Maxwellian in shape. Therefore, the recent treatment of plasma sheath using the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution approximation should be improved. To do this, we have adopted Rutcher's standard distribution as a generalized form in place of the traditional Maxwellian, and found that the minimum energy of ions entering the sheath edge (Bohm's criterion) varies largely, and have also shown the variation of Debye length with the shape of EEDF. The length is the most important parameter to proceed with more detailed analysis on plasma-sheaths, and also to control them in the future. (author)

Strongly coupled Coulomb systems with positive dust grains: thermal and UV-induced plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samarian, A.A.

2000-01-01

Full text: A plasma containing macroscopic dust particles or grains (often referred to as a dusty or colloidal or complex plasma) has the feature that grains may be charged by electron or ion flux or by photo- or thermoelectron emission. Electron emission from a grain surface produces a positive charge; capture of electrons produces the reverse effect making the dust grains negatively charged. Most dusty plasma research is concerned with the ordered dust structures (so-called 'plasma crystal') in glow discharges. The dust grains in these experiments were found to carry a negative charge due to the higher mobility of electrons as compared to ions in the discharge plasma. In recent years, in parallel with the study of the properties of plasma crystals under discharge conditions, attempts to obtain a structure from positively charged dust grains have been made, and structure formation processes for various charging mechanisms, particularly thermoelectron emission and photoemission, have been investigated. In this paper we review the essential features of strongly coupled plasmas with positive dust grains. An ordered structure of CeO 2 grains has been experimentally observed in a combustion products jet. The grains were charged positively and suspended in the plasma flow. Their charge is about 10 3 a and the calculated value of a Coulomb coupling parameter Γ is >10, corresponding to a plasma liquid. The ordered structures of Al 2 O 3 dust grains in propellant combustion products plasma have been observed for the first time. These structures were found in the sheath boundary of condensation region. The obtained data let us estimate the value of parameter Γ =3-40, corresponding to the plasma liquid state. The possibility is studied of the formation of ordered dust grain structures in thermal plasma. The range of the required values of the coupling parameter Γ is calculated using the results of diagnostic measurements carried out in thermal plasma with grains of

Development of Process for Plasma Spray:Case Study for Molybdenum

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Sampath, S.; Jiang, X.; Kulkarni, A.; Matějíček, Jiří; Gilmore, D. L.; Neiser, R. A.

2003-01-01

Roč. 348, 1-2 (2003), s. 54-66 ISSN 0921-5093 Grant - others:NSF(US) DMR9632570 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z2043910 Keywords : process maps, plasma spray, thermal spray Subject RIV: JG - Metallurgy Impact factor: 1.365, year: 2003

Numerical Simulation of Non-Thermal Food Preservation

Science.gov (United States)

Rauh, C.; Krauss, J.; Ertunc, Ö.; Delgado, a.

2010-09-01

Food preservation is an important process step in food technology regarding product safety and product quality. Novel preservation techniques are currently developed, that aim at improved sensory and nutritional value but comparable safety than in conventional thermal preservation techniques. These novel non-thermal food preservation techniques are based for example on high pressures up to one GPa or pulsed electric fields. in literature studies the high potential of high pressures (HP) and of pulsed electric fields (PEF) is shown due to their high retention of valuable food components as vitamins and flavour and selective inactivation of spoiling enzymes and microorganisms. for the design of preservation processes based on the non-thermal techniques it is crucial to predict the effect of high pressure and pulsed electric fields on the food components and on the spoiling enzymes and microorganisms locally and time-dependent in the treated product. Homogenous process conditions (especially of temperature fields in HP and PEF processing and of electric fields in PEF) are aimed at to avoid the need of over-processing and the connected quality loss and to minimize safety risks due to under-processing. the present contribution presents numerical simulations of thermofluiddynamical phenomena inside of high pressure autoclaves and pulsed electric field treatment chambers. in PEF processing additionally the electric fields are considered. Implementing kinetics of occurring (bio-) chemical reactions in the numerical simulations of the temperature, flow and electric fields enables the evaluation of the process homogeneity and efficiency connected to different process parameters of the preservation techniques. Suggestions to achieve safe and high quality products are concluded out of the numerical results.

Process Performances of 2 ns Pulsed Discharge Plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Matsumoto, Takao; Wang, Douyan; Namihira, Takao; Akiyama, Hidenori

2011-08-01

Pulsed discharge plasmas have been used to treat exhaust gases. Since pulse duration and the rise time of applied voltage to the discharge electrode has a strong influence on the energy efficiency of pollutant removal, the development of a short-pulse generator is of paramount importance for practical applications. In this work, it is demonstrated that the non thermal plasma produced by the 2 ns pulsed discharge has a higher energy efficiency than the 5 ns pulsed discharge plasma for NO removal and ozone generation. Typically, the NO removal efficiency was 1.0 mol kW-1 h-1 for 70% NO removal (initial NO concentration = 200 ppm, gas flow = 10 L/min). Meanwhile, the ozone yield was 500 g kW-1 h-1 for 20 g/m3 ozone concentration in the case of oxygen feeding. These energy efficiencies are the highest in the literature.

Magnetogravitational stability of resistive plasma through porous medium with thermal conduction and FLR corrections

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vaghela, D.S.; Chhajlani, R.K.

1989-01-01

The problem of stability of self gravitating magnetized plasma in porous medium is studied incorporating electrical resistivity, thermal conduction and FLR corrections. Normal mode analysis is applied to derive the dispersion relation. Wave propagation is discussed for parallel and perpendicular directions to the magnetic field. Applying Routh Hurwitz Criterion the stability of the medium is discussed and it is found that Jeans' criterion determines the stability of the medium. Magnetic field, porosity and resistivity of the medium have no effect on Jeans' Criterion in longitudinal direction. For perpendicular direction, in case of resistive medium Jeans' expression remains unaffected by magnetic field but for perfectly conducting medium magnetic field modifies the Jeans' expression to show the stabilizing effect. Thermal conductivity affects the sonic mode by making the process isothermal instead of adiabatic. Porosity of the medium is effective only in case of perpendicular direction to magnetic field for perfectly conducting plasma as it reduces the stabilizing effect of magnetic field. For longitudinal wave propagation, though Finite Larmor Radius (FLR) corrections have no effect on sonic mode but it changes the growth rate for Alfven mode. For transverse wave propagation FLR corrections and porosity affect the Jeans' expression in case of non-viscous medium but viscosity of the medium removes the effect of FLR and porosity on Jeans' condition. (author)