Disclosed are systems, methods, and devices for generating radicals in an air stream at the intake of an internal combustion engine, as well as increasing the thrust of such air streams into the engine. A plasma generator including plasma actuators, dielectric barrier discharge electrodes, or both is positioned in the intake stream. Plasma actuators are disposed on the interior surface of the plasma generator, exposed to the intake stream. Dielectric barrier discharge electrodes protrude into the intake air stream. Plasma, preferably DBD plasma, glow plasma, or filamentary plasma, is generated in the air intake stream, creating radicals in the stream, mixing the radicals in the stream, and reducing drag while increasing thrust of air in the intake stream. A concentric cylinder can be further disposed in the plasma generator, with further plasma actuators, dielectric barrier discharge electrodes, or both, on the interior and exterior surfaces of the cylinder.

A plasma processing apparatus includes a cooling plate having a fixing surface to which an upper electrode is fixed, the cooling plate having, on the fixing surface, an electrostatic chuck configured to attract the upper electrode by an attraction force generated by an applied voltage; a power supply configured to apply the voltage to the electrostatic chuck; and a power supply controller configured to control the power supply such that an absolute value of the voltage applied to the electrostatic chuck is increased based on a degree of consumption of the upper electrode.

A cold plasma device generates cold plasma to treat an area of a biological surface. The device includes an array of cold plasma generators associated with a substrate. Each of the cold plasma generators has an electrode and a dielectric barrier. The dielectric barrier has a first side that faces the electrode and a second side that faces away from the electrode. A controller is operably coupled to the array of cold plasma generators and is programmed to control each of the cold plasma generators to generate a plasma dose.

A modular plasma jet treatment system comprising a plasma source with a high-voltage module comprising a high-voltage electrode and first connection means, as well as a plasma jet applicator wherein the plasma jet applicator comprises a cavity for a process gas, wherein a ceiling portion of the cavity is either arranged on the plasma jet applicator and/or on the high-voltage module, the cavity comprising a process gas inlet and at least one plasma jet outlet, wherein the plasma jet applicator comprises a second connection means, such that the plasma jet applicator and the high-voltage module are repeatedly connectable and releasable, wherein, when the plasma jet applicator is connected to the high-voltage module, the cavity is adjacently arranged with the ceiling portion at the high-voltage module, and wherein the cavity is separated by a dielectric from the high-voltage electrode of the high-voltage module.

A system for slowing down the speed of flying objects by applying electrodynamic and aerodynamic braking forces. The system is comprised of plurality of stubs, where each stub is made of dielectric material surrounded by metal foil and another metal foil is inserted in the middle of the stub, where the outer metal foil and the inner metal foil are isolated from each other, so that they form a capacitor. Each stub is stored in a barrel before being used. When activated, the stubs are stretched from the barrel as a tail behind the flying object. The area of the stub generates aerodynamic drag. The stub capacitor is charged by a generator so that free electrons are present in the outer metal layer of the stub. The electric field produced by these charges interacts with ions in the atmosphere.

A plasma processing apparatus includes a cooling plate having a fixing surface to which an upper electrode is fixed, the cooling plate having, on the fixing surface, an electrostatic chuck configured to attract the upper electrode by an attraction force generated by an applied voltage; a power supply configured to apply the voltage to the electrostatic chuck; and a power supply controller configured to control the power supply such that an absolute value of the voltage applied to the electrostatic chuck is increased based on a degree of consumption of the upper electrode.

The invention relates to a treatment device for dielectric harrier discharge plasma treatment of a wound surface or skin surface, having: a flexible, planar electrode assembly with at least one planar electrode (6, 6′) and a dielectric layer (5) which at least partially embeds the at least one electrode (6, 6′), has a contact side (7) facing the wound surface or skin surface and electrically shields the planar electrode (6, 6′) from the wound surface or skin surface such that only a dielectric barrier current can flow from the electrode (6, 6′) to the wound surface or skin surface; and a control device (2) which has a separate housing (25) and via which the electrode (6, 6′) can he connected to an operating voltage. The treatment device allows simpler wound treatment in that the assembly of electrode (6, 6′) and dielectric layer (5) is designed for uninterrupted contact with the wound surface or skin surface and that the housing (25) of the control device (2) can be fastened with a fastening device (3, 3′) to the body having the wound surface or skin surface.

A planar flexible electrode arrangement for a dielectric barrier plasma discharge has a central region (107) and an edge region (108) and at least one planar electrode (102) to which a high-voltage potential can be applied and which is embedded in a planar dielectric (101) that forms an upper face (103) and a contact face (104), wherein the planar dielectric (101), at least in the edge region (108), has the shape of a spiral-shaped wound-up strip (109) and the at least one electrode (102) is formed by at least one electrical conductor (114) that extends in the longitudinal direction of the wound-up strip (109) and that opens into an end face of the strip (109), which conductor (114) is surrounded, with the sole exception of the end face of the strip (109), by the dielectric of the strip (109) and, in the region of the end face of the strip (109), is electrically insulated from the surroundings by a cover element (116). The electrode arrangement can be adapted easily, and without tools, in its bearing surface to the size of the area of a surface that is to be treated, by virtue of the fact that material recesses (111) are present across the width of the strip (109), and that the material of the dielectric (101) and of the at least one conductor (114) is chosen such that the strip (109), together with the at least one conductor (114), can be torn off across its width along the material recesses (111).

Optimized alcohol and plasma enhanced prechambers for engines powered by gasoline and other fuels are used to increase the range of prechamber operation and to reduce soot. The increased prechamber capability is employed to extend the limit of lean operation of the engines. It can also be used to extend the limit of heavy EGR operation and to enable higher RPM operation. The amount of alcohol used in the prechamber is preferably less than 2% of the fuel that is used in the engine cylinder. The alcohol for the prechamber can be entirely provided by onboard separation from a gasoline-alcohol fuel mixture.

Systems, methods, and apparatus are contemplated in which a tube cell that produces a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) is individually configured to minimize the mixing of unwanted byproducts of the generated plasma with an exhaust air stream. The tube cell generates a DBD within a tube cell, such that oxidants or radicals are generated in an environment substantially separated from the exhaust stream. The generated oxidants are directed to intersect with the exhaust stream to minimize the generation of unwanted byproducts. The tube cells are further shaped and arranged in tube cell arrays to alter the flow dynamics of the exhaust stream and the oxidant or radical streams, including mixing of the streams.