Positive discharge from a grounded electrode toward negatively charged particles cloud

In order to understand electrostatic discharges occurring between a grounded electrode and a space charge cloud, the positive discharges were experimentally caused by negatively charged particles cloud. The discharges were initiated by locating a grounded sphere electrode at the inside or outside of the charged powder particles blown by an air flow. The luminous aspect and the discharge current were observed for the grounded sphere electrode with various diameters. Positive streamer corona discharges extended from it. The luminous aspect, peak value of the discharge current and the interval of the discharge significantly depend on the diameter of the grounded sphere electrode as well as its position.