Methods and apparatus for generating atmospheric pressure, low temperature plasma

Abstract

A plasma generator generates atmospheric pressure, low temperature plasma (cold plasma), and includes a first electrode, a second electrode arranged so as to define a predetermined gap between a planar bottom surface of the first electrode and a planar top surface of the second electrode; at least one supplemental electrode, a first dielectric layer, a second dielectric layer, at least one supplemental top dielectric layer having a relative permittivity between 2 and 500, and a thickness of 3 mm or less, at least one supplemental bottom dielectric layer having a relative permittivity between 2 and 500, and a thickness of 3 mm or less, and a power supply configured to supply electrical power to the first, second, and supplemental electrodes at a predetermined voltage and frequency, such that, based on the predetermined gaps between the first, second, and supplemental electrodes, atmospheric pressure, low temperature plasma is generated.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A plasma generator for generating atmospheric pressure, low-temperature plasma, comprising:
 a first electrode that defines a planar bottom surface, the first electrode having a width and length that are each greater than a height extending in a height direction that is perpendicular to the planar bottom surface;   a second electrode that defines a planar top surface, the second electrode having a width and length that are each greater than a height extending in the height direction that is perpendicular to the planar top surface, the second electrode opposing the first electrode such that the bottom surface of the first electrode faces the top surface of the second electrode, the second electrode arranged so as to define a predetermined gap between the planar bottom surface of the first electrode and the planar top surface of the second electrode;   at least one supplemental electrode that defines an additional planar bottom surface and an additional planar top surface, the at least one supplemental electrode having a width and length that are each greater than a height extending in the height direction that is perpendicular to the additional planar top and bottom surfaces, the supplemental electrodes arranged such that the additional planar bottom surface of the supplemental electrode opposes the planar top surface of the second electrode and the additional planar top surface of the supplemental electrode opposes the planar bottom surface of the first electrode, so as to define predetermined gaps between the first electrode and the at least one supplemental electrode, between the at least one supplemental electrodes, and between the supplemental electrode and the second electrode;   a first dielectric layer that is disposed on at least a part of the bottom surface of the first electrode having a relative permittivity between 2 and 500, and a thickness of 3 mm or less;   a second dielectric layer that is disposed on at least a part of the top surface of the second electrode having a relative permittivity between 2 and 500, and a thickness of 3 mm or less;   at least one supplemental top dielectric layer that is disposed on the additional planar bottom surface of the at least one supplemental electrode having a relative permittivity between 2 and 500, and a thickness of 3 mm or less;   at least one supplemental bottom dielectric layer that is disposed on the additional planar top surface of the at least one supplemental electrode having a relative permittivity between 2 and 500, and a thickness of 3 mm or less; and   a power supply configured to supply electrical power to the first, second, and supplemental electrodes at a predetermined voltage and frequency, such that, based on the predetermined gaps between the first, second, and supplemental electrodes, atmospheric pressure, low temperature plasma is generated.   
     
     
         2 . The plasma generator of  claim 1 , further comprising a spacer configured to support the first, second, and supplemental electrodes so as to define predetermined gaps between the first and second dielectric layers and the supplemental top and supplemental bottom electrodes. 
     
     
         3 . The plasma generator of  claim 1 , wherein the power supply includes an inverter that is configured to converts DC voltage to AC voltage and is configured to output AC20V-AC100V. 
     
     
         4 . The plasma generator of  claim 3 , wherein the inverter is configured to output AC25V-AC45V. 
     
     
         5 . The plasma generator of  claim 4 , wherein the inverter is configured to output AC30V-AC35V. 
     
     
         6 . The plasma generator of  claim 5 , wherein the inverter is configured to output approximately AC33.3V. 
     
     
         7 . The plasma generator of  claim 3 , wherein the inverter is configured to output an applied voltage with a frequency ranging from 30 Hz-90 Hz. 
     
     
         8 . The plasma generator of  claim 7 , wherein the inverter is configured to output an applied voltage with a frequency ranging from 50 Hz-70 Hz. 
     
     
         9 . The plasma generator of  claim 8 , wherein the inverter is configured to output an applied voltage with a frequency that is approximately 60 Hz. 
     
     
         10 . The plasma generator of  claim 2 , wherein the power supply includes a booster that receives the output of the inverter and boosts the received voltage at a rate of 150× at 2× intervals, ranging from 3 kV-15 kV. 
     
     
         11 . The plasma generator of  claim 10 , wherein the booster boosts the applied voltage at a rate of 150× at 2× intervals, ranging from 4 kV-7.5 kV. 
     
     
         12 . The plasma generator of  claim 11 , wherein the booster boosts the applied voltage at a rate of 150× at 2× intervals that is approximately 5 kV. 
     
     
         13 . The plasma generator of  claim 1 , further comprising a fan configured to move gas to contact the generated plasma, and an ozone decomposition filter to separate ozone from the gas that has contacted the generated plasma. 
     
     
         14 . The plasma generator of  claim 1 , wherein, for each of the first, second, supplemental top, and supplemental bottom dielectric layers, the relative permittivity is between 2 and 15, and thickness is between 1 mm and 3 mm. 
     
     
         15 . The plasma generator of  claim 1 , wherein, for each of the first, second, supplemental top, and supplemental bottom dielectric layers, the relative permittivity is between 15 and 100, and thickness is less than 2 mm. 
     
     
         16 . The plasma generator of  claim 1 , wherein, for each of first, second, supplemental top, and supplemental bottom dielectric layers, the relative permittivity is between 100 and 500, and thickness is less than 1 mm.