Numerical simulation of nanosecond pulsed DBD in lean methane-air mixture for typical conditions in internal engines

Detailed two-dimensional numerical simulations of a high energy loading nanosecond dc pulse DBD in a lean methane-air mixture were conducted for plasma-assisted combustion by integrating individual models of plasma chemistry, photoionization and energy loading. The DBD streamer propagation process with radical productions was clarified at 10atm and 600K as under the condition of actual internal engines at ignition. Energy is loaded to the streamer first by the formation of plasma channel and then ceased due to the self-shielding effect. Because of the inversed electric field in a discharge space during decrease in applied voltage, energy is loaded to the discharge again. It was found that higher energy is loaded to the DBD streamer for larger dielectric constant even at lower applied voltage, and higher number density of oxygen radical is produced at almost the same radical production efficiency.