Study of dark zone phenomenon of three-electrode dielectric barrier discharge

Abstract Dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) has promising applications in aircraft anti-icing and de-icing due to plasma thermal effects, while enabling active flow control in specific topologies. This study pioneers the investigation of dark zone phenomena in a three-electrode DBD configuration featuring a suspension electrode—a critical distinction beyond conventional DBD system. Experimental results revealed that dark zone phenomenon would be appeared when the suspension electrode covered a certain number of buried electrodes, or was laid in a small range before and after the corresponding position. Quantitative analysis enabled classification of discharge suppression into two mechanistic modes: strong suppression mode and weak suppression mode. Theoretical modeling demonstrated that the local dark zone mechanism was attributed to the superposition of electric fields between electrodes. This fundamental understanding establishes a predictive framework for discharge pattern in multi-electrode plasma systems. The proposed dark zone regulation theory can also facilitate further applications in fields such as anti-icing and de-icing, material modification.