Ion Wind in a Three-Electrode Surface Barrier Discharge Arrangement

An experimental study of the velocity field in a three-electrode arrangement of a plasma-chemical surface dielectric barrier discharge (SDBD) reactor designed for plant seed’s treatment was carried out. The effect of polarity and magnitude of the extraction voltage (potential of the third electrode), configuration of the SDBD system (5- and 10-mm distances between the strips were observed) and the permeability for gas flow of the third electrode (in the form of a plate or a grid) on the magnitude of the extraction ion current, and induced gas flow structure were analyzed. It is shown that the most uniform flow in the direction of the third electrode, necessary for uniform seed treatment, is achieved in the case of a permeable third electrode under positive displacement potential, opposing a surface discharge electrodes with a distance between the strips much less than the gap dimensions (5 mm between the strips with 10 mm between the third electrode and the barrier surface).