Development of a helium flow sensor based on dielectric barrier discharge at atmospheric pressure

Abstract

A novel flow sensor based on dielectric barrier discharge is developed. The helium flow sensor consists of two circular electrodes and a dielectric plate for generating dielectric barrier discharge. The electrodes are sandwiched between the dielectric plate above and the bottom wall of the rectangular channel below. Helium gas is used as the working fluid. The operating principle of the helium flow sensor is that the discharge current between the electrodes increases with increasing helium gas flow rate in the rectangular channel. The flow rate can be measured by detecting the discharge current. The effects of frequency, channel height, distance between electrodes, and diameter of electrodes on the performance of the helium flow sensor are experimentally investigated. The measurable range and sensitivity of the helium flow sensor are examined based on experimental results. Finally, the performance of the helium flow sensor is compared with other types of flow sensors. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.