Repetitive discharges in dielectric liquid are involved in many technological applications. The relatively poor reproducibility of such discharges, induced by significant modification of experimental conditions (electrode and liquid), hinders the understanding of their fundamental dynamics and optimizing processes. In this paper, we study the electrical characteristics of multiple discharges run in de-ionized water, at low frequency (3 Hz), using pin-to-plate electrode geometry, under varying conditions of gap distance (50–500 μm), electrode composition (Cu and W), and voltage polarity (amplitude of ±20 kV and pulse width of 500 ns). The voltage and current waveforms of each occurring discharge are recorded and then processed to determine the probability of discharge occurrence, breakdown voltage, discharge current, discharge delay, injected charge, and injected energy. The results show that the highest numbers of occurring discharges are achieved at shortest distance, using the Cu electrode, and negative polarity. The data points comprising the electrical characteristics waveforms (e.g., breakdown voltage) are more or less dispersed, depending on the electrode composition and voltage polarity. Moreover, in negative polarity, a reflected positive pulse of ∼5 kV is observed when discharges do not occur in the first pulse. Considering that these pulses may induce discharges, their characteristics are also provided. Finally, the voltage-current plots show appreciable dependence on discharge conditions, and the data are well fitted by linear profiles with slopes, i.e., resistances, that may reflect the ignition conditions of the discharge.
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Statistical analysis of pulsed spark discharges in water: Effects of gap distance, electrode material, and voltage polarity on discharge characteristics
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July 2022
Research Article|
June 30 2022
Statistical analysis of pulsed spark discharges in water: Effects of gap distance, electrode material, and voltage polarity on discharge characteristics

Special Collection:
Atmospheric Plasma-Liquid Interfaces
Audren Dorval;
Audren Dorval
(Data curation, Formal analysis)
1
Groupe de Physique des Plasmas, Département de Physique, Université de Montréal,
1375 Avenue Thérèse-Lavoie-Roux, Montréal, H2V 0B3 Québec, Canada
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Korentin Geraud;
Korentin Geraud
(Data curation, Formal analysis)
1
Groupe de Physique des Plasmas, Département de Physique, Université de Montréal,
1375 Avenue Thérèse-Lavoie-Roux, Montréal, H2V 0B3 Québec, Canada
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Flavien Valensi
;
Flavien Valensi
(Writing – review & editing)
2
Université de Toulouse, LAPLACE (Laboratoire Plasma et Conversion d’Energie)
, 118 route de Narbonne, F-31062 Toulouse Cedex 9, France
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Ahmad Hamdan
Ahmad Hamdan
a)
(Conceptualization, Funding acquisition, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Supervision, Validation, Visualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing)
1
Groupe de Physique des Plasmas, Département de Physique, Université de Montréal,
1375 Avenue Thérèse-Lavoie-Roux, Montréal, H2V 0B3 Québec, Canada
a)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: ahmad.hamdan@umontreal.ca
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a)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: ahmad.hamdan@umontreal.ca
Note: This paper is part of the Special Topic Collection on Atmospheric Plasma-Liquid Interfaces.
J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 40, 043006 (2022)
Article history
Received:
April 19 2022
Accepted:
June 03 2022
Citation
Audren Dorval, Korentin Geraud, Flavien Valensi, Ahmad Hamdan; Statistical analysis of pulsed spark discharges in water: Effects of gap distance, electrode material, and voltage polarity on discharge characteristics. J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 1 July 2022; 40 (4): 043006. https://doi.org/10.1116/6.0001923
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