A Comparative Investigation of the Effect of an External Electric Field on the Generation of Negative Corona Discharge Plasma in Air with the Application of Finite Element Analysis

Abstract

This study delineates an exhaustive examination of a coaxial direct current corona discharge manifesting under arid atmospheric conditions at standard atmospheric pressure. The geometric parameters and operational conditions display analogies to those conventionally observed in electrostatic precipitators employing a wire-to-plate configuration. The inner electrode is distinguished by a radius of 100 μm, whereas the inter-electrode separation is consistently maintained at 10 cm. The simulations conducted pertain to steady-state conditions, wherein the discharge is perpetuated by the application of a voltage of 45 kV to the inner electrode, with the outer electrode held at ground potential. The influence of the reduction of the inter-electrode distance within the range of approximately 10, 8, 6 cm, and ultimately 4 cm was investigated and the corresponding results were presented. A central emphasis of this inquiry is the generation and transportation of charged particles, along with the ramifications of such phenomena on the current-voltage characteristics of the discharge.