Improving the Power Efficiency of a Microwave Plasma Source by Using the Principle of a Variable-Impedance Waveguide

Thanaset Thosdeekoraphat (), Supawat Kotchapradit, Watcharapong Bunpradit (), Worawut Boonpeang, Chanchai Thongsopa and Samran Santalunai
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Thanaset Thosdeekoraphat: School of Electronic Engineering, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand
Supawat Kotchapradit: School of Electronic Engineering, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand
Watcharapong Bunpradit: School of Electronic Engineering, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand
Worawut Boonpeang: School of Electronic Engineering, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand
Chanchai Thongsopa: School of Electronic Engineering, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand
Samran Santalunai: School of Electronic Engineering, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 12, 1-21

Abstract: Microwave plasma sources are used in various applications, but inefficiency can limit their usefulness. Researchers have investigated a new approach with which to improve efficiency by using a waveguide with a special tuner. A standard waveguide was compared to one equipped with a stub tuner, which allows for the fine-tuning of the electrical properties. The experiment used a frequency of 2.45 GHz and tested input powers of 1 kW and 1.5 kW. Experiments showed that waveguides with tuners transferred power more efficiently, with fewer reflected and more transmitted microwaves. While peak temperatures remained similar, the tuned waveguide produced a hotter plasma flame (30–60 °C) at the same distance. Notably, increasing the input power further boosted the flame temperature by 300 °C. These findings suggest that stub tuners can significantly improve the efficiency of microwave plasma sources. This paves the way for more efficient plasma generation technologies and potentially allows for applications requiring even higher power.

Keywords: microwave plasma source; variable waveguide; stub tuners (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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