Corona Discharge - Applications of Corona Discharge

Applications of Corona Discharge

Corona discharge has a number of commercial and industrial applications.

• Drag reduction over a flat surface
• Removal of unwanted electric charges from the surface of aircraft in flight and thus avoiding the detrimental effect of uncontrolled electrical discharge pulses on the performance of avionic systems
• Manufacture of ozone
• Sanitization of pool water
• Scrubbing particles from air in air-conditioning systems (see electrostatic precipitator)
• Removal of unwanted volatile organics, such as chemical pesticides, solvents, or chemical weapons agents, from the atmosphere
• Improvement of wetability or 'surface tension energy' of polymer films to improve compatibility with adhesives or printing inks
• Photocopying
• Air ionisers
• Production of photons for Kirlian photography to expose photographic film
• EHD thrusters, Lifters, and other ionic wind devices
• Nitrogen laser
• Surface treatment for tissue culture (polystyrene)
• Ionization of a gaseous sample for subsequent analysis in a mass spectrometer or an ion mobility spectrometer
• Solid-state cooling components for computer chips (see solid-state fan)

Coronas can be used to generate charged surfaces, which is an effect used in electrostatic copying (photocopying). They can also be used to remove particulate matter from air streams by first charging the air, and then passing the charged stream through a comb of alternating polarity, to deposit the charged particles onto oppositely charged plates.

The free radicals and ions generated in corona reactions can be used to scrub the air of certain noxious products, through chemical reactions, and can be used to produce ozone.