Quasi-stationary numerical model of the dielectric barrier discharge

The aim of this paper is to present a numerical algorithm for investigating the dynamic characteristics of a simple model of the dielectric barrier discharge in air. The proposed algorithm is based on the finite element method and is capable of determining the distribution of electric field intensity and space charge density in the point-plane geometry, when the plane is covered with a thin dielectric layer and the needle is energized with a sinusoidal voltage. The simulation results show the behavior of corona current and space charge density for a few values of the input voltage and frequency. The aim of this parametric study is to investigate the effect of voltage, and frequency on the time variation of the discharge.