Description
Corona discharges consist of a fundamental plasma phenomenon that plays a significant role in high-voltage transmission and can appear naturally in atmospheric electricity. The range of applications associated includes environmental and industrial plasma systems, especially under atmospheric conditions.
Humidity induces a strong influence on the discharge behavior, affecting its formation, evolution and stability and the performance of devices that rely on it. Many mechanisms and events involved remain poorly understood, especially in complex environments. Therefore, the accurate modelling of corona discharges in humid air is the focus of this work.
The addition of water vapor molecules in the already complex kinetic processes of corona discharges enhances the deviation between the predicted and observed behavior. Besides increasing the attachment coefficient of the mixture of gases and altering the inception voltage, field and other parameters, it creates small droplets with low ionization potential. The formation of ion hydrates produces clusters which modify the charge distribution in space and may alter the local electric field.
The evolution of this research includes an initial approach based on dry-air to build upon where all the necessary continuity and transport equations for charged species coupled with Poisson’s equation for electric potential will be added under varying humidity levels. Future findings are both scientifically significant and technologically essential. The understanding of the underlying physics becomes critical in the design, usage and application of coronas in order to achieve optimized plasma-based technologies that can be safely operated.
| Field of Research/Work | Plasma and Solar Physics, Accelerators and Beams |
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