Nonequilibrium Plasmas Generated by Dielectric Barrier Discharges at Atmospheric Pressure

Both propane plasma and air plasma are successfully generated at atmospheric pressure by using two dielectric barrier discharge reactors with different configurations, in which one is used to activate propane and the other is used to activate air. The plasma pictures show that the microdischarge channels in the plasmas increase and become increasingly more uniform with the deposited power under both activation methods. It is found that the propane plasma is of an ivory white color, while the air plasma is purple, as a result of the different gas components. A 30-W propane or air plasma leads to a significant temperature rise of the main flame, attributed to the production of reactive radicals and fuel fragments in such plasmas.