Non equilibrium plasma interactions with liquid water surfaces
Abstract
Low temperature, non equilibrium plasmas containing energetic species such as electrons, ions, and radicals typically interact with solid surfaces at their boundaries. However, emerging applications in environmental remediation, chemical synthesis, and medicine involve plasmas interacting with liquid surfaces such as water. The nature of the plasma liquid interactions are particularly complex due to: two way interactions where the plasma phase affects the liquid phase as well as vice versa; transport of reacting species deep into the liquid phase; a very broad range of time scales for intermediate species, which when coupled with transport leads to a range of spatial distributions; and the effects of liquid phase transport on reaction rates. This proposed research will study plasma liquid water interactions for liquid water jets and droplets. By increasing the surface to volume ratio of the liquid water phase, transport effects in the water phase will be reduced or even eliminated and the effect of interfacial reactions will be enhanced. Effects on the plasma phase will be characterized by optical emission spectroscopy (OES) and a collisional radiative model will be used to obtain electron densities and electron temperatures. Effects on the water phase will be characterized by imaging with a high speed camera, electrostatic charge measurements, and diagnostics of short lived intermediates with chemical scavengers. The experimental work will be coupled with modeling of heat and mass transfer and chemical kinetics, in order to provide an underlying physical basis for the experimental results. Overall, the fundamental insight into plasmas interacting with liquid water surfaces promises to impact a broad range of technological applications, including those of interest to the DoD such as degradation of perfluoroalkyl substances that have contaminated drinking water sources.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jan 14, 2022
- Source ID
- FA95501910088
Entities
People
- Daniel J. Lacks
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Case Western Reserve University
- United States Air Force