Ozone Generation by Surface Dielectric Barrier Discharge

Surface dielectric barrier discharge (SDBD) is used in a variety of different applications; however, the ozone generated in the discharge can be toxic to people in the vicinity. In this paper, we study the SDBD (using generators with smooth-edge, serrated and thin-wire high-voltage electrodes) in terms of ozone generation. The electrical measurements and the time-resolved plasma imaging revealed differences in the discharge current, dissipated power and plasma morphology for the different types of SDBD generators and showed significant suppression of the streamer formation from the thin-wire electrode. We determined the amount of ozone produced by each generator and found that despite the observed differences in discharge between the generators, the ozone production yield and the maximum volumetric concentration of ozone for all three generators is a linear function of only one parameter—the discharge active power. We also found that the ozone production efficiency of 9.66 g/kWh is constant for all three generators. Our results show that SDBD generators can be safely used in the enclosed space if the SDBD discharge operates with relatively low active power (the SDBD generator working with the active power of 1.7 W did not exceed the ozone concentration of 0.1 ppm in the 60 m3 room).