Characterization of a non thermal plasma torch

A non thermal He plasma needle was developed and characterized. The plasma was produced using the method presented in Anghels et al., which utilizes a resonant transformer to produce the voltages necessary to breakdown the helium (He) working gas. The plasma under study was found to have an output power less than 2 watts for all flow rates used with voltages around 4.5 kV AC peak to peak. We present data referencing the plasma breakdown voltage as well as current and power measurements. The physical appearance of the plasma discharge at various flow rates was also recorded and documented. The plasma circuitry was characterized in an effort to better understand the key operating parameters of the plasma itself. Both simulation and experimentation were used to gather quantitative and qualitative data, which are presented in this paper.