Influence of discharge and jet flow coupling on atmospheric pressure plasma homogeneity

The effect of flow dynamics on the discharge mode is studied in order to design a technical solution for thin film coating on large surfaces. The configuration consists in two atmospheric pressure helium plasma jets impacting a surface and confined in a tube. This system operates in open air. It has been studied by short exposure time pictures, current and voltage measurements, optical emission spectroscopy, schlieren flow visualization and computational fluid dynamics. Two discharge regimes directly connected to the gas flow dynamic have been pointed out. One is localized from the point electrodes to the surface; the other one entirely fills the confinement tube. A correlation between air intake inside the confinement tube and the discharge mode has been highlighted. Indeed, the discharge only develops in helium and the air intake confines the helium jets in volumes smaller than the confinement tube. The air intake is determined by the gas flow rate and the distance from the tube bottom to the substrate surface, parameters which have been linked to the change from laminar to turbulent flow. Finally, the understanding of flow dynamics and discharge plasma coupling allowed the design of a technical solution favoring plasma homogeneity for large surface treatment.