A Compact Repetitive Unipolar Nanosecond-Pulse Generator for Dielectric Barrier Discharge Application

Dielectric barrier discharge excitated by pulsed power is a promising approach for producing nonthermal plasma at atmospheric pressure, but pulsed power generators vary widely in performance and should be chosen according to application requirements. In this paper, a repetitive unipolar nanosecond-pulse generator is constructed using resonant charging and one-stage magnetic compression circuits, where IGBT and magnetic switches are the key units, respectively. The generator is capable of providing repetitive pulses with a voltage of up to 30 kV and duration of 70 ns at a 300 resistive load. Output pulse voltage can be adjusted by varying ac input voltage or trigger pulse-width. This compact and convenient generator has been used successfully to produce stable dielectric barrier discharge.