Atmospheric plasma layer generator by dielectric barrier discharge for application of lighting protection

Summary form only given. A new application of atmospheric plasma, i.e., plasma lighting protection, is described. The atmospheric plasma density for this application should be larger than 1/spl times/10/sup 9/ cm/sup -3/ in a distance of 10-30 cm away from the ionization source. From a point of view of high ion density of blown out plasma, DBD (dielectric barrier discharge) is the most efficient and convenient technologies among many generation technologies of atmospheric plasma. DBD allows that the atmosphere is strongly ionized by high voltage on the one hand, and the electric field can be very rapidly cut off, on the other hand to block the quick movement of the ions to the electrodes, the ions stay in air and be easily blown out of the ionization region. The discharge current curves obtained in our laboratory also confirm that these arc ions suspending in air and waiting for being blown out. Ion density of the blown out plasma is getting less and less along the way because of diffusion, recombination, air flow and electric mobility, but still keep an order of magnitude of 10/sup 9/ per cubic cm, at a distance of 30 cm away from the ionization region. This is not easy to obtain for the other generation technologies.