Influence of turbulence on a diffuse electrical gas discharge under moderate pressures

Abstract

Aspects of a corona discharge under the influence of a turbulent flow are considered. This problem represents an extension of the already complicated situation of discharges in very nonuniform electric fields but in nonmoving gases. Our approach is restricted to providing a qualitative and semiquantitative description of some important phenomena occurring in plasmas formed in a turbulent gas which flows through the strong nonuniform electric field present in the small corona region. These phenomena lead to interesting experimentally observable effects; in particular, they allow a substantial increase of current and power consumption in the diffuse discharge which is associated with a sharp enhancement of transport coefficients in the hydrodynamically turbulent plasma. Estimates of the relative current increase and power consumption (turbulent‐to‐laminar) can be made with the information presented. These estimates are in agreement with observations.