TiPToP - TaIlored Pulse excitation for TailOred Plasma chemistries
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Liverpool
Department Name: Electrical Engineering and Electronics
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| James Walsh (Principal Investigator) | |
| Mohammad Hasan (Co-Investigator) |
Publications
Bieniek M
(2021)
Modeling the thermalization of electrons in conditions relevant to atmospheric pressure He-O2 nanosecond pulsed discharges
in Physics of Plasmas
Bieniek M
(2022)
Modeling of DC micro-glow discharges in atmospheric pressure helium self-organizing on cathodes
in Physics of Plasmas
Brisset A
(2022)
Effects of humidity on the dynamics and electron recombination of a pin-to-pin discharge in He + H 2 O at atmospheric pressure
in Plasma Sources Science and Technology
Brisset A
(2023)
The formation of O and H radicals in a pulsed discharge in atmospheric pressure helium with water vapour admixtures
in Plasma Sources Science and Technology
De Oliveira ACD
(2024)
Application of cold atmospheric plasma for decontamination of toxigenic fungi and mycotoxins: a systematic review.
in Frontiers in microbiology
Dickenson A
(2021)
Electromechanical coupling mechanisms at a plasma-liquid interface
in Journal of Applied Physics
Gilbart B
(2021)
Dominant heating mechanisms in a surface barrier discharge
in Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics
Gilbart B
(2022)
Mutual interaction among multiple surface barrier discharges
in Plasma Processes and Polymers
Harris B
(2023)
The influence of pulse repetition frequency on reactive oxygen species production in pulsed He+H2O plasmas at atmospheric pressure
in Journal of Applied Physics
| Description | In this award a series of novel and highly tuneable nanosecond pulse plasma generators were developed to facilitate exploration of voltage pulse characteristics on the mean energy of electrons. Such efforts are an important first step to being able to control electron energy which would ultimately facilitate control over the generation and loss pathways of reactive plasma species that drive many applications spanning the domains of healthcare, manufacturing and energy. We further developed a Laser Thomson Scattering (LTS) diagnostic system to enable the accurate time and space resolved measurements of electron temperature and density. This resulting facility is unique within the UK and is one of only a few available worldwide. A number of high impact papers have resulted from these efforts and the LTS technique has opened new research avenues to explore going forward. By combining the advanced plasma chemistry diagnostics available in the York plasma institute with the nanosecond pulsed plasma sources and LTS facility available in Liverpool we were able to demonstrate, for the first time, that tailoring the voltage pulse shape has a significant impact on the mean energy of electrons in the plasma. This finding satisfies a key objective of the project. A second objective of the research was to explore the impact of tailored pulse excitation on the reactive chemical species created by the plasma. To achieve this, we performed time and space resolved measurements using the ps-TALIF method of important atomic species (e.g. O, H and N) which are primarily generated via electron driven processes. Contrary to our expectations, the densities of these species did not show significant variation with voltage pulse shape. Through computational modelling, we were able to unravel the complex underpinning generation and loss pathways and demonstrate that build-up of O and H densities in a pulsed discharge continues after electron-impact dissociation processes have ceased. This build up is driven by additional afterglow processes, including dissociative recombination of O2+ and H2+. This is an important finding for the research community and highlights that a far greater focus and research effort should be devoted to afterglow processes, which are typically considered less important than electron-impact processes. |
| Exploitation Route | Electron dynamics in a plasma are of fundamental importance. The insight gained thus far on the award contributes to our growing understand of electron behaviour in a non-equilibrium gas discharge. This information could be used by others to optimise plasma technology for use in domains such as healthcare, agriculture and manufacturing. |
| Sectors | Agriculture Food and Drink Environment Healthcare Manufacturing including Industrial Biotechology |
| Description | Beyond academia the outcomes of this award have resulted in tangible economic impact. The plasma technology developed, diagnostic techniques established, and understanding gained on this award have enabled our plasma technology to be translated into the food processing sector to enhance food security and the sustainability of the UK food supply chain. Two patents were filed which were related to the technologies developed on this award. By exploiting this IP, the PDRA employed to work on the award, supported by the wider research team, secured ~£300,000 from Innovate UK and a further £260,000 from private investors to establish a spin-out company focused on using pulsed plasmas to eradicate chemical (e.g. allergens) and biological (e.g. bacteria) hazards from food processing surfaces. This highly efficient plasma-based approach to surface decontamination overcomes the need to halt food production for routine cleaning and thus offers manufacturers considerable time and energy savings. The company, Plasma Fresh ltd, is based at SciTech Daresbury and currently employs four people, including two former plasma scientists from the Liverpool research team. The research grant uncovered fundamental processes critical to controlling plasma technology, providing novel insights into plasma behavior and manipulation. These findings served as a springboard for further innovation and have been directly leveraged in two recently awarded EPSRC grants and an Innovate UK project. The new understanding of plasma control mechanisms not only demonstrates the scientific value of the original research but also drives ongoing advances in this technology's industrial and commercial applications. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2023 |
| Sector | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology |
| Impact Types | Economic |
| Description | Beyond Bosch: On-farm fertiliser generation for net zero agriculture |
| Amount | £800,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | APP42644 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 06/2025 |
| End | 06/2027 |
| Description | ICURe Exploit Funding FY23 Round 1 |
| Amount | £293,914 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | 1007886 |
| Organisation | Innovate UK |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2023 |
| End | 10/2024 |
| Description | ICURe award |
| Amount | £35,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | I-I-003 |
| Organisation | Innovate UK |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 11/2022 |
| End | 03/2023 |
| Description | Plasma-triggered Gelation |
| Amount | £1,300,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | APP13486 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2025 |
| End | 03/2028 |
| Title | Decontamination of Food by Plasma |
| Description | Description of a technique to manipulate plasma species for the purpose of microbial decontamination |
| IP Reference | P44601GB1 |
| Protection | Patent / Patent application |
| Year Protection Granted | 2023 |
| Licensed | No |
| Impact | Used as the basis for a spin-out company. |
| Title | Low temperature plasma for the removal of airborne contamination |
| Description | Patent on plasma based system to degrade organic contamintion in air flows. |
| IP Reference | GB2208962.7 |
| Protection | Patent / Patent application |
| Year Protection Granted | 2022 |
| Licensed | No |
| Impact | Is forming the basis of a spibn-out company. |
| Company Name | PlasmaFresh |
| Description | PlasmaFresh develops decontamination solutions for the food and drink manufacturing industry, using cold plasma technologies. |
| Year Established | 2023 |
| Impact | The company has raised over £600k from Innovate UK and STFC and is currenlty based at SciTech Daresbury. The company employs a former EPSRC funded PhD student and an EPSRC funded PDRA. |
| Website | https://plasmafresh.co/ |