Modes of operation of the glow discharge at atmospheric pressure (GDAP)

Summary form only as given. In this paper, we present a simple model of the Glow Discharge at Atmospheric Pressure (GDAP), based on its electrical characteristics. The GDAP is a capacitively coupled device. Which uses the dielectric barrier discharge configuration. It is capable of generating a steady-state uniform glow, when driven by an AC voltage in the kHz range. Taking into account the rate of production and loss of particles, two nonlinear differential equations relating the applied voltage, the discharge current, and the number density are derived. Solutions of these equations reveal that two modes of operation of the discharge exist. For frequencies below about 20 kHz, the discharge current is a pulse each half cycle. For higher frequencies (f>20 kHz), the current changes its form to a distorted sine-wave. It is also found that in the "higher frequency" mode of operation, less applied power is required to maintain a plasma number density comparable to the "lower frequency" mode. Therefore, it is more efficient to run the GDAP at driving frequencies higher than.