Theoretical and experimental investigations of a dielectric barrier light source

Summary form only given: A detailed one-dimensional fluid dynamical simulation has been used to model the dynamical properties of a homogeneous xenon dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma excited by fast rise-time, short pulse width (200 ns-1 mus) electrical driving waveform. Electrical characteristics, power deposition classified by the type of energy utilization: excitation, ionization, energy dissipation processes and spectrally-resolved emission of radiation ranging from VUV to low IR are calculated. Simulation results are used to optimize the experimentally obtained electrical to VUV conversion efficiencies in a cylindrical DBD lamp filled with xenon gas at pressures between 100 mbar and 300 mbar. The body of the lamp is coated with LAP (green) phosphor to convert radiation into the visible part of the spectrum. We analyze the influence of the driving waveform parameters, pressures, dielectric properties, etc. on the discharge efficiencies. Simulation and experimental results are compared in terms lamp efficacies and show good agreement. Intrinsic discharge efficiency around 67% is reached by simulation, and more than 80 lm/W lamp efficacy is demonstrated experimentally.