A validated numerical model developed for the study of helium barrier discharges in the presence of dry air impurities is presented in this paper. The model was used to numerically investigate the influence of air traces on the evolution of the helium dielectric barrier discharge (DBD). The level of dry air used as impurity was in the range from 0 to 1500 ppm, which corresponds to the most commonly encountered range in atmospheric pressure discharge experiments. The results presented in this study clearly show that the plasma chemistry and consequently the discharge evolution is highly affected by the concentration level of impurities in the mixture. In particular, it was observed that air traces assist the discharge ignition at low concentration levels (~55 ppm), while on the other hand, they increase the burning voltage at higher concentration levels (~1000 ppm). Furthermore, it was found that the discharge symmetry during the voltage cycle highly depends on the concentration of air. For the interpretation of the results, a detailed analysis of the processes that occur in the discharge gap is performed and the main reaction pathways of ion production are described. Thanks to this approach, useful insight into the physics behind the evolution of the discharge is obtained.

In this paper a validated 2D axisymmetric plasma fluid model was used to study the influence of the level of nitrogen impurities on the processes that occur in a helium parallel plate dielectric barrier discharge. The level of nitrogen impurities was varied in the range 0.1?500?ppm. It was observed that the nitrogen impurities significantly affect the dominant ion species at breakdown and the discharge characteristics. Specifically, three different dominant ions were found, which are strongly dependent on the level of nitrogen impurities. These are: (0.1?35?ppm), (35?150?ppm) and (150?500?ppm). In addition, the results show that the discharge characteristics are dependent on the dominant ion species at breakdown.

The secondary discharge was induced at the end of a slow-falling voltage flank, when a semisine monopolar pulse voltage excites the dielectric-barrier discharge. Formation and properties of the secondary discharge with respect to different dielectric materials such as glass, ceramic, and polyethylene theraphtalate were studied. The tunable diode laser absorption spectrometry (at 777.194 nm) was used to analyze the time-space distribution of the density of the atomic oxygen in metastable state (3⁵S₂ rarr 3⁵P₃) in addition to both discharge voltage and discharge current versus time. The secondary discharge is always formed, and its amplitude, as well as the amplitude of the main discharge, depends on surface properties of the dielectric barrier.