Electrical discharges at atmospheric pressure

Contact: Stanislav Pekárek

elektricke-vyboje-za-atm-tlakuThe actual scientific activities of the team of laboratory of electrical discharges at atmospheric pressure represent continuation of the previous research carried out in the field of iontonitridation of steel in electrical discharge in ammonia, annealing of wires by an electron beam extracted from a glow discharge and plasma displays – namely linear bargraphs based on the glow discharge in pennings mixtures.

Taking into account requirements concerning the quality of the environment, the activities of the laboratory at the last time are focused on physics and applications non-equilibrium electrical discharges at atmospheric pressure. In the field of discharge physics the attention is devoted to the discharge thermal instability suppression, extension of the discharge current voltage range, study of the streamers, velocities of their propagation, their frequencies etc. In the field of the non-equilibrium electrical discharges applications the attention is devoted mainly to the removal of gas pollutants from air (volatile organic compounds – n-heptane, toluene, VOCs contained in automotive and aviation fuels, nitrogen oxides) and to the ozone production. The great attention at the last time is devoted to the so-called “hybrid systems” which represent a combination of the plasma produced by an electrical discharge and a catalyst. It was shown that this combination decreases energy consumption of air pollutants removal. In collaboration with an acoustic group of the department we developed novel and unique method of substantial ozone production increase, based on the interaction of power ultrasound waves with the electrical discharge.

The team of the laboratory collaborates with the university of Ghent in Belgium and has a long and fruitful cooperation with the Institute of Plasma Physics v.v.i. of the Academy of Sciences and Institute of Chemical Technology both in Prague. The team also successfully solved several projects granted by international organizations (NATO, Czech-Flemish cooperation in research and development), Czech grant agencies (GA ČR, GA AV) as well as internal university grants (IG ČVUT). The members of the team are also involved in referees’ activities for evaluation of manuscripts submitted for publications in highly respected international scientific journals, foreign grants and research projects.

Selected publications

  1. S. Pekárek, J. Rosenkranz, H. Loneková, Generation of electron beam for technological processes, Non-Thermal Plasma Techniques for Pollution Control, NATO ASI Series, 34 Part A, Springer-Verlag (1993) 345-354.
  2. S. Pekárek, V. Kříha, M. Šimek, R. Bálek, F. Hanitz, Hollow needle-to-plate electrical discharge at atmospheric pressure, Plasma Sources Sci. & Technol. 8 (1999) 513-518.
  3. S. Pekárek, V.Kříha, M. Pospíšil, I. Viden, Multi hollow-needle to plate plasmachemical reactor for pollutant decomposition, Journal of Physics D, Appl. Physics, 34 (2001) L117-121.
  4. S. Pekárek and M. Šimek M., Optical diagnostics of the hollow needle to plate discharge in air, Czech. J. Physics, 54, (2004) Supplement D, C728-C734.
  5. S. Pekárek and J. Rosenkranz, Ozone and nitrogen oxides generation in gas flow enhanced hollow needle to plate electrical discharge in air, Ozone Sc. & Eng. 24 (2002) 221-226.
  6. S. Pekárek and R. Bálek, Ozone generation by hollow needle to plate electrical discharge in an ultrasound field, Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 37 (2004) 1214-1220.
  7. S. Pekárek and R. Bálek, Ultrasound and airflow induced thermal instability suppression of DC corona discharge: an experimental study, Plasma Sources Sci. & Technol. 15 (2006) 52-58.
  8. S. Pekárek, R. Bálek, M. Pospíšil and J. Khun, Effect of ultrasound waves on electrical characteristics of hollow needle to plate discharge in air or mixture of air with VOCs, Czech. J. Physics, Supplement B, 56 (2006) B982-989.
  9. S. Pekárek, M. Pospíšil and J. Krýsa, Non-thermal plasma and TiO2 assisted n-Heptane decomposition, Plasma Processes and Polymers, 3 (2006) 308-315.
  10. S. Pekárek, Non-thermal plasma n-heptane decomposition enhanced by supplementary addition of active species, Proceedings of the XXVIII International Conference on Phenomena in Ionized Gases, July 15-20 (2007) Prague, Czech Republic, CD-ROM, 1289-1292.
  11. S. Pekárek, U. Rosenkranz, J. Khun, M. Pospíšil, Ozone interaction with a stainless steel and a PtRhPd/Al2O3 honeycomb catalyst, Proceedings of the XXVIII International Conference on Phenomena in Ionized Gases, July 15-20 (2007) Prague, Czech Republic, CD-ROM, 1367-1370.
  12. S.Pekárek, M. Šimek, Atmospheric-pressure DC corona discharge in N2-NO mixtures: efficiency and energy cost of nitric oxide removal, Proceedings of the XXVIII International Conference on Phenomena in Ionized Gases, July 15-20 (2007) Prague, Czech Republic, CD-ROM, 1449-1452.
  13. S Pekárek, Ozone production by DC corona discharge in air contaminated by n-heptane, J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 41 (2008) 025204.
  14. R. Bálek, S. Pekárek, M. Červenka, Ultrasonic field effects on corona discharge in air, IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science, 36 (2008) 920-921.
  15. S. Pekárek, DC corona ozone generation enhanced by TiO2 photocatalyst, Eur. Phys. J. D, 50, (2008) 171-175.
  16. S. Pekárek, Effect of polarity on ozone production of DC corona discharge with and without photocatalyst, Proceedings of 19th International Symposium on Plasma Chemistry, (2009) Bochum, Germany
  17. S. Pekárek, DC Corona discharge ozone production enhanced by magnetic field, Eur. Phys. J. D, 56 (2010) 91-98.
  18. R. Bálek, S. Pekárek, Air-jet power ultrasonic field applied to electrical discharge, Physics Procedia, 3 (2010) 775-780.
  19. M Šimek, S Pekárek and V Prukner, Influence of power modulation on ozone production using an AC surface dielectric barrier discharge in oxygen, Plasma Chemistry and Plasma Processing, 30, 5, (2010), 607-617.
  20. Pekárek, Effect of the magnetic field on electrical characteristics of the dc corona discharge, XIIth International Symposium on High Pressure Low Temperature Plasma Chemistry-Hakone, 2010, Slovakia, http://www.fmph.uniba.sk/hakoneXII,  Book of Contributed Papers,  2, 561-564.
  21. Pekárek, Non traditional approa ches leading to enhanced ozone generation, XIIth International Symposium on High Pressure Low Temperature Plasma Chemistry-Hakone, 2010, Slovakia, http://www.fmph.uniba.sk/hakoneXII,  Book of Contributed Papers, 2, 287-290.
  22. Pekárek, Effect of catalysts on dc corona discharge poisoning, The European Physical Journal D, 61, 3 (2011) 657-662,   doi: 10.1140/epjd/e2010-10246-4.
  23. Pekárek, Atmospheric-Air Needle-to-Cylinder DC Discharges in Magnetic Field, IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science, 39,11, (2011) 2206-2207.
  24. Pekárek, Effect of catalysts location on performance of DC corona discharge, 30th International Conference on Phenomena in Ionized Gases, 2011, Queen´s University of Belfast, Northern Ireland, http://mpserver.pst.qub.ac.uk/sites/icpig2011/003_C10_Pekarek.pdf
  25. Pekárek, Czech Patent, Generator of active oxygen species, 2011, No. 302 409.
  26. Pekárek, Experimental study of surface dielectric barrier discharge in air and its ozone production, J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 45, 7 (2012) 075201 (9pp), doi:10.1088/0022-3727/45/7/075201.
  27. Šimek, S. Pekárek and V. Prukner, Ozone production using a power modulated surface dielectric barrier discharge in dry synthetic air, Plasma Chemistry and Plasma Processing, 32, 4 (2012) 743-754.
  28. Pekárek, Czech Patent, Generator of ozone with electrical discharge, 2012, No. 303 377. 305 098.
  29. Pekárek , Asymmetric properties and ozone production of surface dielectric barrier discharge with different electrode configurations , The European Physical Journal D, 67, 5 (2013) doi: 10.1140/epjd/e2013-30723-4.
  30. Pekárek, Effect of magnetic field, airflow or combination of airflow with magnetic field on hollow needle-to-cylinder discharge regimes, J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 46 (2013) 505207.
  31. Bálek, M. Červenka, S. Pekárek, Acoustic field effects on a negative corona discharge, Plasma Sources Sci. Technol. 23 (2014) 035005 (9pp) doi:10.1088/0963-0252/23/3/035005
  32. Pekárek, Ozone production of hollow-needle-to-mesh negative corona discharge enhanced by dielectric tube on the needle electrode, Plasma Sources Sci. Technol. 23, 6 (2014), doi:10.1088/0963-0252/23/6/062001.
  33. Pekárek and J. Mikeš, Temperature-and airflow-related effects of ozone production by surface dielectric barrier discharge in air, The European Physical Journal D, 68, 10 (2014).
  34. Pekárek, Effect of TiO2 and reverse air supply on ozone production of negative corona discharge with the needle in the dielectric tube to mesh electrode system, Plasma Chemistry and Plasma Processing, 35, 4 (2015) 705-719.
  35. Pekárek, J. Mikeš, J. Krýsa, Comparative study of TiO2 and ZnO photocatalysts for the enhancement of ozone generation by surface dielectric barrier discharge in air, Applied Catalysis A: General 502 (2015) 122–128.
  36. Pekárek, Czech Patent, Electrode system of ozone generator for enhancement of concentration of ozone and other active oxygen species produced by the corona discharge, 2015, No. 305 098.
  37. Pekárek, J. Mikeš, I.Beshajová-Pelikánová, F. Krčma and P. Dzik: Effect of TiO2 on various regions of active electrode on surface dielectric barrier discharge in air, Plasma Chem Plasma Process, Sept. 2016, doi: 10.1007/s11090-016-9723-4.