Patent ID: 6156162
Filing Date: 2000-12-05
Classification: H01J,H05H

Abstract:
A method of driving a dielectric discharge barrier device for converting pollutants in a gas stream to harmless by-products, said method comprising the steps of:providing a dielectric barrier discharge device having at least two electrodes and at least two dielectric barriers defining a gap therebetween, wherein a first dielectric barrier is positioned adjacent a first electrode and a second dielectric barrier is positioned adjacent a second electrode, and wherein the gas stream flows through the gap between the first and second dielectric barriers;providing a power source that generates a pulsed waveform output signal; andapplying the pulsed output signal from the power source to the electrodes to create a discharge in the gap, wherein the pulsed waveform of the output signal includes groups of pulses spaced apart from each other where each group includes alternating pulses of opposite polarity, and wherein each pulse has a substantially constant amplitude over a pulse width of the pulse and the pulsed waveform has zero amplitude between the groups of pulses, said step of applying the pulsed output signal converting pollutants in the gas stream to harmless by product.