Investigation of negative corona discharge Trichel pulses for a needle-plane geometry via two numerical 2D axisymmetric models

Trichel pulses for negative direct current corona discharge in a pin plate configuration under open dry air conditions are investigated using two numerical models. The first well known general model takes electrons and positive and negative ions into consideration. The second model, a more detailed one, takes electrons and other 16 nitrogen and oxygen species into consideration. Both models are able to capture the general evolution of the electrical discharge. However, the detailed model is able to also show the effect of behavior and contribution of specific species on the discharge. The results show that negative oxygen ions play a key role in the development of Trichel pulses. Furthermore, O2− and O3− ions develop in the interlayered spatial layers in the discharge gap, with the number of layers corresponding to the number of Trichel pulses. It is also shown that nitrogen ions are mostly generated in front of the negatively biased (−5.5 kV) pin.