Simulation of the discharge process of dielectric barrier discharge

For better understanding the discharge mechanisms of dielectric barrier discharge(DBD) and achieving large-scale industrial applications of DBD plasmas, a discharge model based on continuity equations and Poisson's equation is established to simulate the discharge process in DBD in atmospheric air, and the variation of electron density, electric field, discharge voltage and discharge current with time is calculated, with the functions of dielectric barriers in different phases of the discharge being discussed. The simulation results show that the evolution of micro-discharges in DBD occurs sequentially in three distinctive phases of avalanche, streamer, and decay. Between the phases of avalanche and streamer, the main function of the barriers is to accelerate the formation of the streamer, while in the phase of decay, the main function of the barriers is to prevent the increasing of the discharge current and thus to prevent the occurrence of arc.