Simulation study of a capacitively coupled plasma torch array

Summary form only given. It has been shown that an array of air plasma torches can be lit up simultaneously by a single common AC source. (e.g. 60 Hz wall plug) It is achieved by using capacitors as active ballasting circuit elements to prevent voltage shortage in the other electrode pairs due to the discharge in one pair. Charging and discharging of the capacitors provide feedback control to the voltage across the corresponding electrode pair. The setup is modelled as coupled RLC circuits, each electrode pair in the presence of the plasma torch is represented by a parallel RC circuit, in which both R and C are time dependent. The dynamics of the plasma is described by the rate equations of the electrons, positive ions, and negative ions. The coefficients in the rate equations include the ionization frequency, attachment rate, recombination rate, and detachment rate. The ionization frequency, which depends on the discharge field, provides the coupling of the circuit equations to the rate equations of the plasma species.