Measurement of the charge distribution deposited by an annular plasma synthetic jet actuator over a target surface

Annular plasma synthetic jet actuators demonstrated their ability to produce a tubular flow normal to the surface where the dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) is ignited. These fluid-dynamic actuators enhance the delivery of reactive species towards the target to be treated. In these actuators, long life charged particles are generated within the plasma region and then carried on by the induced flow. In this work, the potential distribution induced by charges deposited over an insulating target has been measured. Surface DBD actuators, made with different dielectric materials, have been supplied by different sinusoidal voltages at a constant average power supplying the discharge. Actuators with the exposed electrode connected to both the high voltage potential and grounded have been tested. The charge distribution accumulated on a target surface perpendicular to the flow has been measured at different time intervals with the plasma on. Charges advected by the flow are always positive. The potential distribution on the target surface generated by the charges has been measured. For both configurations, firstly an M-shaped distribution develops and, later on, it becomes bell-shaped. A charge build-up mechanism has been found to be faster when the exposed electrode is connected to the high voltage terminal. The target has been placed at a variable distance from 1 to 5 cm from the actuator surface. At a distance of 5 cm, induced potentials are two times smaller than those with the target at 1 cm. Measurements allow us to estimate a charge flux toward the target on the order of 1011 particles (cm2 s)−1. The results presented in this work show that the presence of charged particles in the jet flow outside the plasma could be an important factor to be accounted for when these plasma actuators are used for treatment purposes (indirect plasma treatment).