dc corona surface discharge along an insulating flat plate in air: experimental results

A high voltage difference between two parallel wire electrodes placed close to an insulating surface may be used to produce a dc corona discharge. In this original configuration, an homogenous stable generalized glow discharge is obtained very close to the insulating surface. This discharge may be used in aerodynamics. This experimental work brings out some important parameters to control the dc corona discharge such as the insulating properties of the flat plate. Experiments show that when the two electrodes moved away from the surface, a plasma sheet is still observed at the vicinity of the surface. This paper also presents the influence on the dc corona discharge of parameters as the electrode gap and the distance between the flat plate and the electrodes.