Voltage application device includes voltage application circuit. Voltage application circuit causes discharge electrode to generate a discharge by applying an application voltage to load that includes discharge electrode holding liquid. Voltage application circuit periodically changes a magnitude of the application voltage to generate a discharge intermittently. Voltage application circuit applies a maintaining voltage to load for suppressing contraction of liquid in addition to the application voltage during an intermittent period from a discharge to a next discharge.

In a method for ionization of a fluid, wherein a first pair of electrodes are arranged in a container opposite each other and at a distance from each other, the method includes conveying the fluid in a gaseous state inside the container in a fluid flow past the first pair of electrodes, charging the electrodes in the first pair of electrodes so that electric discharges takes place, and supplying the fluid flow in a pulsed manner to an inlet of the container.

The present invention relates to a refrigerator designed to reduce the deterioration rate of stored items, such as food, fruits, vegetables, meat, flowers, and plants, within the storage compartment using plasma and a photocatalyst. Specifically, the invention performs filtering with a photocatalyst and plasma sterilization on the air in the storage compartment to decompose ethylene gas and other substances, thereby reducing the deterioration rate of stored items and extending their storage period. The invention utilizes a compact high-density plasma generator with discharge electrodes and ground electrodes arranged in multiple cells. Plasma is uniformly and multidimensionally generated in the air within the storage compartment, decomposing ethylene gas to slow the deterioration rate of food, fruits, vegetables, meat, flowers, and plants, and extending their storage period.

This invention relates generally to novel methods and novel devices for the continuous manufacture of nanoparticles, microparticles and nanoparticle/liquid solution(s). The nanoparticles (and/or micron-sized particles) comprise a variety of possible compositions, sizes and shapes. The particles (e.g., nanoparticles) are caused to be present (e.g., created) in a liquid (e.g., water) by, for example, preferably utilizing at least one adjustable plasma (e.g., created by at least one AC and/or DC power source), which plasma communicates with at least a portion of a surface of the liquid. At least one subsequent and/or substantially simultaneous adjustable electrochemical processing technique is also preferred. Multiple adjustable plasmas and/or adjustable electrochemical processing techniques are preferred. The continuous process causes at least one liquid to flow into, through and out of at least one trough member, such liquid being processed, conditioned and/or effected in said trough member(s). Results include constituents formed in the liquid including micron-sized particles and/or nanoparticles (e.g., metallic-based nanoparticles) of novel size, shape, composition and properties present in a liquid.

The present invention provides a plasma generation module comprising: multiple needle-shaped discharge electrodes disposed in multiple cells arranged in the XY plane such that the peaks thereof are oriented in the Z-axis direction at the centers of the cells; ground electrodes formed on perimeters of the cells in one-to-one correspondence with the peaks in the XY plane at the same height as the peaks; a guide block on which the ground electrodes are seated and which has grooves into which the multiple needle-shaped discharge electrodes are inserted; and a first terminal electrically connected to multiple needle-shaped discharge electrodes, and a second terminal electrically connected to the ground electrodes. According to the present invention, it is possible to generate plasma in a multiphasic and uniform manner by using the discharge electrodes and the ground electrodes included in the multiple cells.