Viacheslav Plotnikov
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Merced, CA, 95343, USA
Gerardo Diaz
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Merced, CA 95343, U.S.A.
Edbertho Leal-Quiros
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Merced, CA, 95343, USA
Electrical discharges of sub-kilohertz pulse repetition rates were generated in ethanol by the use of an inductive
pulse generation system with a solid-state switch. The reactor geometry was chosen to be pin-to-plate due to
its simplicity in producing highly non-uniform electric fields. Positive high voltage pulses with microsecond
rise times and magnitudes up to 30 kV were generated. It was found that pulse frequency has significant
effect on geometry of the formed electrical discharge. Frequencies lower than 300−400 Hz produce primarily
streamers.With an increase in frequency, a shortening of streamers was observed. Repetition rates higher than
500−600 Hz result in spherical accumulation of electrical discharge due to extreme shortening of streamers. A correlation between an increase of pulse repetition rate and rise of the temperature during treatment of ethanol
has been found.