A method of generating a non-thermal microplasma, including the steps of providing a fibrous air-filter, arranging one or more pairs of elongated, adjacent, substantially parallel spaced-apart electrodes on the fibrous air-filter, wherein a discharge gap is defined between each pair; placing a component in signal communication with the electrodes for applying a voltage between each pair; and generating a non-thermal microplasma in a corresponding discharge gap and thereby removing one or more combustion byproducts from ambient air.

A plasma treatment apparatus, comprising a housing defining a void (13); a source of ionised gas plasma (14) in communication with the void; and agitation apparatus (12) arranged to agitate contents of the void. The plasma can typically be generated at ambient pressure from the ambient air in the void. The apparatus can be used, in particular, for the treatment of materials comprising many small components, such as seeds, granular material, plastic beads and the like.

A plasma treatment unit having a high-voltage stage (5, 6), arranged in a housing, for generating high-voltage signals suitable for the generation of a plasma, and having a head part (2) which is connectable to the high-voltage stage (5, 6) and in which there is situated an electrode arrangement (13) shielded by a dielectric (9), is suitable for plasma treatments in particular in the body interior by virtue of the fact that the head part (2) has an elongate transition piece (10) which is attachable to the housing and on that end of which which is not connectable to the housing there is arranged a treatment head (16, 16′), the dimensions of which perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the transition piece (10) greatly exceed the dimensions of the transition piece (10), and that, in the treatment head (16, 16′), the electrode arrangement (13) forms a spatially closed flexible sheath (12) around a resiliently elastic core (14) and is covered at its outer lateral surface by a thin layer (15) of the flexible dielectric (9), such that the treatment head (16, 16′) can, as it is inserted into a body interior, assume the shape of the surrounding tissue in the body interior.

The invention relates to a treatment assembly for treating the surface of a body with a dielectrically limited plasma, comprising an electrode assembly (1), in which at least one electrode (1a, 1b) is arranged in a base section of the electrode assembly (1), which is completely shielded from the surface to be treated by a dielectricum (3), and a connection conductor (6a, 6b) of which extends into a contact projection (5) of the dielectricum (3). The treatment assembly also comprises a contact element (2, 2′), which has a receiving opening (18, 18) for the contact projection (5) and a lever assembly for opening and closing the receiving opening (18, 18′) and for pressing a contact pin (31) through a prefabricated recess (14) of the dielectricum (3) onto the electrode (1a, 1b) in order to deliver a connection of a high-voltage AC source to the electrode (1a, 1b), allows a spatially close arrangement of two contact pins (31), which are connected to at least one high-voltage source, in close proximity to each other in that the electrode assembly (1) has at least two electrodes (1a, 1b), which are arranged in the base section and are insulated from each other by the dielectricum (3) and a connection conductor (6a, 6b) of each of which extends into the contact projection (5); a recess (14) is provided in the dielectricum (3) and a contact pin (31) is provided for each connection conductor (6a, 6b); at least one of the contact pins (31) is supported in the contacting element (2) by means of a dielectric casing (30) and is designed with a non-insulated end face (46) for producing a contact with the corresponding electrode (1a, 1b); and the at least one dielectric casing (30) is oversized with respect to the corresponding recess (14) in the dielectricum (3), said oversize allowing a press fit of the casing (30) in the dielectricum (3) by means of the lever assembly when the non-insulated end face (46) of the contact pin (31) contacts the corresponding electrode (1a, 1b), wherein the press fit prevents an air gap.

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.

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.

An apparatus for cleaning a surface of an optical window includes a first electrode that is provided inside the optical window and is covered with a dielectric material forming the optical window. A second electrode is provided around the optical window and is exposed on at least one surface of the optical window. A power supply is electrically coupled between the first electrode and the second electrode. The apparatus further includes a controller that controls the power supply so as to generate dielectric barrier discharge along the surface of the optical window by applying a high-frequency or pulsed voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode.

Apparatus for reducing the translucence or opacity caused by smoke within a closed environment includes a fibrous substrate comprising non-conductive fibers. The apparatus further includes elongated, substantially parallel electrodes disposed on the substrate arranged as one or more pairs of adjacent electrodes, wherein a discharge gap is defined between each pair. The apparatus additionally includes a component configured for applying a voltage between each pair to generate a non-thermal microplasma in a corresponding discharge gap to collect or bind one or more airborne particulate combustion byproducts.

The invention relates to an electrode arrangement for generating a non-thermal plasma, with: a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are electrically insulated from each other and spaced from each other by a dielectric element, characterized in that the second electrode has an Electroless Nickel Immersion Gold (ENIG) coating, or an Electroless Nickel Electroless Palladium Immersion Gold (ENEPIG) coating, or an Electroless Nickel Immersion Palladium Immersion Gold (ENIPIG) coating, or an Electroless Palladium (EP) coating, or an Electroless Palladium Immersion Gold (EPIG) coating, and/or the dielectric element is made of a woven glass reinforced hydrocarbon ceramic.

A dielectric barrier discharge electrode of an embodiment has: a dielectric; a first electrode provided to be exposed on the dielectric; a second electrode provided to be covered by the dielectric; and a third electrode provided to be covered by the dielectric in a neighborhood of the first electrode.