Calculation of Onset Voltage of Sliding Discharge over a Dielectric Barrier

Abstract

This paper is aimed at calculating the onset voltage of a sliding discharge established between two electrodes at the upper and bottom surfaces of a dielectric barrier plate; named sliding dielectric barrier discharge (SDBD) driven by AC voltage during negative half cycle. The onset voltage is based on the condition of self-sustenance of avalanche growth in the vicinity of the stressed electrode. This calls at first for calculation of the electric field in the vicinity of stressed electrode. The dependency of onset voltage on the thickness and permittivity of the dielectric barrier as well as the thickness of the stressed electrode and the inter-electrode spacing between the stressed and ground electrodes is investigated. The obtained results are discussed in the light of gas discharge physics.