Calculation of the electrical power dissipated in silent discharge reactors

This paper is aimed to investigating how the electrical power consumed in generating silent discharges is influenced by the width of the annular discharge gap in the reactor. The silent discharges have been generated in conventional tubular reactors forming annular discharge gaps of 1×10−3-, 2×10−3-, and 3×10−3-m width, with one dielectric barrier pasting on the ground electrodes of the reactors. The reactors were fed by dry air flowing with a constant rate at atmospheric pressure and room temperature, and stressed by an ac voltage. The discharge power consumed in generating silent discharges has been measured as a function of the voltage applied to the reactors up to a Vp of 20 000 V, and calculated by Manley’s equation under the same discharge conditions. The experimental and calculated results have shown that when the reactor has a discharge gap of 1×10−3- or 2×10−3-m width, Manley’s equation agrees only with the experimental results in range of the voltage of V0⩽Vp⩽Vc. In the higher range of the applied voltage of Vc⩽Vp⩽20000V, Manley’s equation has been modified to fit the experimental results. With the reactor that has a discharge gap of 3×10−3-m width, Manley’s equation agrees with the experimental results over the whole range of the voltage applied to the reactor. The results have been explained by recorded oscillograms showing the wave form of the ac voltage applied to the reactors and the corresponding discharge current.