Reliability improvement of gas discharge tube by suppressing the formation of short-circuit pathways

After cumulative discharge of gas discharge tube (GDT), it is easy to form a short circuit pathway between the two electrodes, which increases the failure risk and causes severe influences on the protected object. To reduce the failure risk of GDT and improve cumulative discharge times before failure, this work aims to suppress the formation of two short-circuit pathways by optimizing the tube wall structure, the electrode materials and the electrode structure. A total of five improved GDT samples are designed by focusing on the insulation resistance change that occurs after the improvement; then, by combining these designs with the microscopic morphology changes inside the cavity and the differences in deposition composition, the reasons for the differences in the GDT failure risk are also analyzed. The experimental results show that compared with GDT of traditional structure and material, the method of adding grooves at both ends of the tube wall can effectively block the deposition pathway of the tube wall, and the cumulative discharge times before device failure are increased by 149%. On this basis, when the iron-nickel electrode is replaced with a tungsten-copper electrode, the difference in the electrode’s surface splash characteristics further extends the discharge times before failure by 183%. In addition, when compared with the traditional electrode structure, the method of adding an annular structure at the electrode edge to block the splashing pathway for the particles on the electrode surface shows no positive effect, and the cumulative discharge times before the failure of the two structures are reduced by 22.8% and 49.7% respectively. Among these improved structures, the samples with grooves at both ends of the tube wall and tungsten-copper as their electrode material have the lowest failure risk.

The parameters of gas discharge visualization (biophotonics) correlated with parameters of acupuncture points, EEG, HRV and hormones

Background. Previously we have been shown that exist strong canonical correlation between parameters of GDV and principal neuroendocrine factors of adaptation as well as parameters of leukocytogram, immunity and phagocytosis. This study, conducted on a much expanded contingent, will analyze the relationships between GDV parameters, on the one hand, and the parameters of acupuncture points (APs), EEG, HRV and adaptation hormones, on the other. Material and Methods. We observed twice 31 women and 29 men aged 26-76 years with dysfunction of neuroendocrine-immune complex. In the morning in basal conditions at first registered kirlianogram by the method of GDV by the device “GDV Chamber” (“Biotechprogress”, SPb, RF). Than we registered simultaneously EEG and HRV and recorded electrical conductivity of three pairs of Aps. Finally, a blood sample was taken to determine the plasma levels of the main hormones of adaptation: cortisol, testosterone and triiodothyronine. Results processed by method of canonical analysis, using the software package “Statistica 64”. Results. The coefficient of canonical correlation between the electrical conductivity of APs and gas-discharge image (GDI) parameters is 0,635; between APs and virtual Chakras parameters – 0,614; instead, between APs and GDV parameters as a whole – 0,707. The autonomic-endocrine constellation is somewhat more strongly associated with GDI parameters than with virtual Chakras parameters (0,769 vs 0,712). Additional inclusion of EEG parameters in the neuroendocrine set increases the strength of the canonical correlation to 0,869. Conclusion. The above data, taken together with the previous ones, state that between parameters of neuroendocrine-immune complex and GDV exist strong canonical correlation suggesting suitability of the latter method.

Efficiency of gas discharge methods for odor control in municipal wastewater transportation and treatment systems

В процессе транспортировки и очистки сточных вод в воздух выделяются дурнопахнущие вещества, среди которых одним из наиболее трудноудаляемых является сероводород. Для очистки воздуха от дурнопахнущих веществ используются различные методы, в том числе газоразрядные (плазменные, ионизационные), которые хорошо зарекомендовали себя в других областях промышленности. Вентиляционные выбросы, образующиеся при обработке и очистке сточных вод, имеют ряд особенностей: высокая влажность, высокая концентрация сероводорода, потенциальная взрывоопасность. Эти свойства ограничивают возможность использования газоразрядных методов для очистки данного типа вентиляционных выбросов. Описывается специфика применения газоразрядных методов при очистке воздуха на очистных сооружениях канализации и канализационных насосных станциях. Приведены возникающие при этом технические сложности. In the process of wastewater transportation and treatment malodorous substances are released into the air; among them hydrogen sulfide being one of the most difficult to remove. Various methods are used to remove malodorous substances from the air, including gas-discharge (plasma, ionization) methods that have proven remarkably effective in other industries. Vent emissions generated during wastewater treatment are specified by high humidity, high concentration of hydrogen sulfide, potential explosion hazard. These properties limit the possible use of gas discharge methods for the purification of this type of vent emissions. The specificity of applying gas discharge methods for air purification at the wastewater treatment facilities and wastewater pumping stations is described. The arising technical difficulties are presented.

Analytical Model Nonequilibrium Inhomogeneous Plasma of the Heliosphere

We prove that a nonequilibrium inhomogeneous giant gas discharge is realized in the heliosphere with huge values of the parameter <i>E</i>/<i>N</i>, which determines the temperature of electrons. This quasi-stationary discharge determines the main parameters of the weak solar wind (SW) in the heliosphere. In connection with the development of space technologies and the human spacewalk, the problem of the nature of the SW is acute. The study of the interference of gravitational and electrical potentials at the Earth's surface began with the work of Hilbert 1600. Such polarization effects – the interference of Coulomb and gravitational forces – have not been studied well enough even in the heliosphere. Our article is devoted to this problem. Pannekoek-Rosseland-Eddington model do not take into account the important role of highly energetic running (away from the Sun) electrons and, accordingly, the duality of electron fluxes. According to an alternative model formulated by we, highly energetic (escaping from the Sun) electrons leave the Sun and the heliosphere, and weakly energetic ones, unable to leave the Coulomb potential well (hole) – the positively charged Sun and the heliosphere, return to the Sun. The weak difference between the opposite currents of highly energetic (escaping from the Sun) electrons and weakly energetic (returning to the Sun) electrons is compensated by the current of positive ions and protons from the Sun – SW. These dynamic processes maintain a quasi-constant effective dynamic charge of the Sun and the entire heliosphere. At the same time, quasi-neutrality in the Sun and heliosphere is well performed up to 10^-36. According to experiments and analytical calculations based on our model: 1) the plasma in the corona is nonequilibrium; 2) the maximum electron temperature is T_e ~ 1-2 million degrees; 3) T_e grows from 1000 km away from the Sun and 4) the role of highly energetic electrons escaping from the plasma leads to a significant increase in the effective: solar charge and electric fields in the heliosphere in relation to the Pannekoek-Rosseland-Eddington model. This is due to the absence of a compensation layer that screens the effective charge of the Sun. It is not formed at all due to the escape of highly energetic electrons (as in a conventional gas discharge) in the entire heliosphere with high temperatures exceeding the temperature of the Sun's surface. Thus, the process of escape of highly energetic electrons forms the internal EMF of the entire heliosphere. Interference of gravitational and Coulomb potentials in the entire heliosphere is considered, it is being manifested in generation of two opposite flows of particles: 1) that are neutral or with a small charge (to the Sun), and 2) in the form of high-energy electrons (escaping from the positively charged Sun) and a solar wind (from the Sun). Calculated values of the registered ion parameters in the solar wind were compared with experimental observations. Reasons for generating the ring current in inhomogeneous heliosphere and inapplicability of the Debye theory in describing processes in the solar wind (plasma with current) are considered.

Analytical Model Nonequilibrium Inhomogeneous Plasma of the Heliosphere

We prove that a nonequilibrium inhomogeneous giant gas discharge is realized in the heliosphere with huge values of the parameter <i>E</i>/<i>N</i>, which determines the temperature of electrons. This quasi-stationary discharge determines the main parameters of the weak solar wind (SW) in the heliosphere. In connection with the development of space technologies and the human spacewalk, the problem of the nature of the SW is acute. The study of the interference of gravitational and electrical potentials at the Earth's surface began with the work of Hilbert 1600. Such polarization effects – the interference of Coulomb and gravitational forces – have not been studied well enough even in the heliosphere. Our article is devoted to this problem. Pannekoek-Rosseland-Eddington model do not take into account the important role of highly energetic running (away from the Sun) electrons and, accordingly, the duality of electron fluxes. According to an alternative model formulated by we, highly energetic (escaping from the Sun) electrons leave the Sun and the heliosphere, and weakly energetic ones, unable to leave the Coulomb potential well (hole) – the positively charged Sun and the heliosphere, return to the Sun. The weak difference between the opposite currents of highly energetic (escaping from the Sun) electrons and weakly energetic (returning to the Sun) electrons is compensated by the current of positive ions and protons from the Sun – SW. These dynamic processes maintain a quasi-constant effective dynamic charge of the Sun and the entire heliosphere. At the same time, quasi-neutrality in the Sun and heliosphere is well performed up to 10^-36. According to experiments and analytical calculations based on our model: 1) the plasma in the corona is nonequilibrium; 2) the maximum electron temperature is T_e ~ 1-2 million degrees; 3) T_e grows from 1000 km away from the Sun and 4) the role of highly energetic electrons escaping from the plasma leads to a significant increase in the effective: solar charge and electric fields in the heliosphere in relation to the Pannekoek-Rosseland-Eddington model. This is due to the absence of a compensation layer that screens the effective charge of the Sun. It is not formed at all due to the escape of highly energetic electrons (as in a conventional gas discharge) in the entire heliosphere with high temperatures exceeding the temperature of the Sun's surface. Thus, the process of escape of highly energetic electrons forms the internal EMF of the entire heliosphere. Interference of gravitational and Coulomb potentials in the entire heliosphere is considered, it is being manifested in generation of two opposite flows of particles: 1) that are neutral or with a small charge (to the Sun), and 2) in the form of high-energy electrons (escaping from the positively charged Sun) and a solar wind (from the Sun). Calculated values of the registered ion parameters in the solar wind were compared with experimental observations. Reasons for generating the ring current in inhomogeneous heliosphere and inapplicability of the Debye theory in describing processes in the solar wind (plasma with current) are considered.

Controlling the breakdown delay time in pulsed gas discharge

In experiment and 2D3V PIC MCC simulations, the breakdown development in a pulsed discharge in helium is studied for U=3.2 kV and 10 kV and P=100 Torr. The breakdown process is found to have a stochastic nature, and the electron avalanche develops in different experimental and simulation runs with time delays ranging from 0.3 to 8 μs. Nevertheless our experiments demonstrate that the breakdown delay time distribution can be controlled with a change of the pulse discharge frequency. The simulation results show that the breakdown process can be distinguished in three stages with a) the ionization by seed electrons, b) the ions drift to the cathode and c) the enhanced ionization within the cathode sheath by the electrons emitted from the cathode. The effects of variation of seed electron concentrations, voltage rise times, voltage amplitudes and ion-electron emission coefficients on the breakdown development in the pulsed gas discharge are reported.

Control of plasma spatial distribution in gas discharge lamps filled with alkali metal vapors

The thermodynamic properties of alkali metal vapor plasma in the pressure range 0.25 - 3.0 atm and temperatures 1500 - 60000 K are considered. It is shown that a distinctive feature of this plasma is the existence of a relatively narrow critical temperature interval in which the plasma consists only of electrons and singly ionized atoms. The specific heat capacity of the plasma has a minimum value in the critical temperature range, corresponding to the heat capacity of a simple e-i plasma in which the second ionization of atoms has not begun. It has been shown that, due to this property, in gas discharge lamps filled with alkali metal vapors, it is possible to control the type of spatial distribution of the plasma. Under relatively low currents, when the temperature of the plasma doesn’t reach the critical range of the value, the traditional space distribution of the plasma is realized in the gas discharge tube. In this case, most of the plasma is concentrated in the axial region of the tube and its concentration decreases along the radius from the axis to the walls of the tube. With sufficiently high currents, when the plasma temperature on the axis exceeds the values from the critical interval, the opposite case is realized: the main part of the plasma is now concentrated on the periphery of the gas discharge volume. In this case, the plasma concentration increases along the radius from the axis to the tube walls. It is shown that the transformation of one type of spatial distribution of plasma into another occurs when the plasma temperature on the axis reaches values from the critical interval and the specific heat capacity approaches its minimum value, corresponding to a simple plasma consisting of electrons and single-charge ions.