Characteristics of dielectric barrier glow discharges with a low-frequency generator in nitrogen

Two different methods are proposed for suppressing streamers when generating a dielectric barrier glow discharge with a low-frequency AC generator (< few kHz) at atmospheric pressures: (i) reducing the discharge gap distance and (ii) increasing the electrical conductivity of the barrier materials. These two proposed techniques are experimentally verified through several parametric tests, in which the applied voltage, the gap distance, and the electrical conductivity are the dominant variable parameters investigated. The test results show that reducing the gap distance can suppress streamer propagation, which results in an effectively sustained glow discharge. If barrier materials with a high electrical conductivity are used, the streamer formation is inhibited, and the glow discharge mode is maintained under high electric fields.