J. P. Boeuf

Plasma display panels: physics, recent developments and key issues

In this paper, we describe the principles of operation of a plasma display panel (PDP) and the physical mechanisms controlling the performances of a PDP in terms of light emission efficiency, lifetime and image quality. Emphasis is put on the physics of the plasma occurring in a PDP cell, on the discharge optimization, and on the analysis of recent results provided by experimental and numerical diagnostic tools. We focus on alternative current PDPs, where the plasma is generated by a dielectric barrier discharge, the configuration adopted by most PDP companies. The recent improvements and the remaining research issues are discussed.

Electrohydrodynamic force and aerodynamic flow acceleration in surface dielectric barrier discharge

Surface discharges created in dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) configurations have been proposed as actuators for flow control in aerodynamic applications. We focus on DBDs operating in a glow regime, i.e., where the discharge is sustained by ion-induced secondary electron emission from the surface and volume ionization. After a brief discussion of the force per unit volume acting on the flow and due to the momentum transfer from charged particles to neutral molecules, we present calculations of this force based on a two-dimensional fluid model of the surface discharge. We show that this force is of the same nature as the electric wind in a corona discharge. However, the force in a DBD is localized in the cathode sheath region of the discharge expanding along the dielectric surface. While its intensity is much larger than the analogous force in a direct-current corona discharge, it is active during less than one hundred nanoseconds for each discharge pulse and the time-averaged forces in the two cases a...

Electrohydrodynamic force in dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuators

Surface dielectric barrier discharges (DBDs) have been proposed as actuators for flow control. In this paper we discuss the basic mechanisms responsible for the electrohydrodynamic (EHD) force exerted by the discharge on the gas molecules. A two-dimensional fluid model of the DBD is used to describe the plasma dynamics, to understand the basic physics associated with the EHD force and to give some quantitative estimation of the force under simplified conditions. The results show that for ramp or sinusoidal voltage waveforms, the discharge consists of large amplitude short current pulses during which a filamentary plasma spreads along the surface, separated in time by long duration, low current discharge phases of a Townsend or corona type. The contribution of the low current phases to the total force exerted by the discharge on the gas is dominant because their duration is much longer than that of the current pulses and because the force takes place in a much larger volume. A description of the different discharge regimes and a parametric study of the EHD force as a function of voltage rise time and dielectric thickness is presented.

Two-dimensional model of a stationary plasma thruster

Stationary plasma thrusters (SPTs) are advanced propulsion devices that use a gas discharge to ionize and accelerate the propellant. We present in detail a two-dimensional model of an SPT discharge. The model combines a particle simulation of neutral atoms and ions with a fluid description of electrons, where the electric field is obtained from imposing quasineutrality. The electron mobility and energy loss are treated in an empirical way and characterized by ad hoc parameters. Typical simulation results are shown.

Role of anomalous electron transport in a stationary plasma thruster simulation

Stationary plasma thrusters (SPTs) are advanced propulsion devices that use a gas discharge to ionize and accelerate the propellant. We present simulation results obtained with a two-dimensional hybrid model of an SPT discharge. The model characterizes the ill-understood anomalous electron transport in SPTs by empirical parameters, of which we demonstrate the influence on the simulation results. Although no optimal values for these parameters can clearly be identified, the model predicts many features of the SPT behavior and yields interesting insights in the SPT physics. Experimentally observed electric potential distributions can only be reproduced if the anomalous electron transport is assumed to be stronger outside than inside the SPT channel. The simulations reproduce experimentally measured oscillations at 10–20 kHz and predict additional oscillations at 100–200 kHz. We discuss the dynamics of these oscillations and their influence on the energy distribution of the ion beam leaving the thruster.

Critical assessment of a two-dimensional hybrid Hall thruster model: Comparisons with experiments

A discussion is presented on the results and predictive capabilities of a two-dimensional (2D) hybrid Hall effect thruster (HET) model. It is well known that classical (collision-induced) cross-field electron transport and energy losses are not sufficient to explain the observed HET characteristics. The 2D, quasineutral, hybrid discharge model uses empirical parameters to describe additional, anomalous electron transport and energy loss phenomena. It is shown that, for properly adjusted empirical parameters, the model can qualitatively reproduce the observed thruster behavior over a large range of operating conditions. The ionization and transit-time oscillations predicted by the model are described, and their consequences on the time-averaged thruster properties are discussed. Finally, the influence of the empirical parameters on the model results is shown, especially on quantities that can be measured experimentally.

Model study of the influence of the magnetic field configuration on the performance and lifetime of a Hall thruster

A two-dimensional hybrid model of the discharge in Hall thrusters including the near outside region between cathode and exhaust plane has been developed. The topology of the applied magnetic field is calculated with a finite element software and used as input for the discharge code. In this paper, we examine the influence of the magnetic field topology on the thruster operation and properties, with emphasis on the thruster lifetime. Results show that a configuration with a zero magnetic field and a smaller region with large magnetic field tends to decrease wall erosion and low frequency current oscillations keeping a high level of performance.

Diagnostics and modeling of a macroscopic plasma display panel cell

A macroscopic plasma display discharge cell has been designed in order to more easily study the plasma evolution in dielectric barrier discharges occurring in the much smaller commercial ac plasma display panels (PDPs). The electrodes in the macrocell can be arranged in matrix or coplanar configurations. The dimensions of the cell are 100 times larger than those of typical PDP cells and the gas pressure is 100 times smaller. Although some of the properties of the discharge pulse obviously do not follow the classical similarity laws, we find that the macrocell is a very useful tool for improving our understanding of the discharge in a PDP cell. The large dimensions of the cell and the longer time scale because of the smaller pressure make the plasma diagnostics easier than in a real PDP cell. The results are presented here for discharges in pure neon at 5 Torr. Measurements of the time evolution of the current and imaging of the plasma with an intensified charge coupled device (ICCD) camera are presented i...

Anomalous cross field electron transport in a Hall effect thruster

The origin of anomalous electron transport across the magnetic field in the channel of a Hall effect thruster has been the subject of controversy, and the relative importance of electron-wall collisions and plasma turbulence on anomalous transport is not clear. From comparisons between Fabry-Perot measurements and hybrid model calculations of the ion velocity profile in a 5 kW Hall effect thruster, we deduce that one and the same mechanism is responsible for anomalous electron transport inside and outside the Hall effect thruster channel. This suggests that the previous assumption that Bohm anomalous conductivity is dominant outside the thruster channel whereas electron-wall conductivity prevails inside the channel is not valid.

Physical phenomena in a coplanar macroscopic plasma display cell. I. Infrared and visible emission

The space and time variations of the light emission in a macroscopic plasma display panel (PDP) discharge cell have been studied with an image-intensified charge-coupled device. The discharge cell is similar to a real PDP cell with a coplanar electrode configuration. The cell dimensions are on the order of 100 times larger than those of a real PDP cell and the operating pressure is about 100 times smaller. Different xenon–neon gas mixtures have been investigated. Optical filters have been used to measure infrared emission from xenon excited states 823.1 and 828.0 nm, and visible emission from neon at 640.2 nm. The measurements show that the neon visible emission occurs only above the cathode while xenon infrared emission occurs above both cathode and anode. Standing striations can be observed above the anode. The strong xenon emission above anode indicates that this region is more efficient than the cathode region in terms of ultraviolet production. The measurements are in excellent qualitative agreement ...