Automated Fluid Model Generation and Numerical Analysis of Dielectric Barrier Discharges Using Comsol

TL;DR

This paper introduces MCPlas, a MATLAB and COMSOL-based tool for automated generation of fluid models to analyze dielectric barrier discharges, enabling efficient study of complex plasma phenomena.

Contribution

The paper presents MCPlas, a novel automation tool that simplifies and accelerates the creation of plasma models in COMSOL for dielectric barrier discharges.

Findings

MCPlas enables seamless transition between model complexities.

It successfully models diffuse and filamentary discharges.

Complex plasma-surface interactions are effectively analyzed.

Abstract

MCPlas is introduced as a powerful tool for automated fluid model generation with application to the analysis of dielectric barrier discharges operating in different regimes. MCPlas consists of a number of MATLAB\textsuperscript{\textregistered} scripts and uses the COMSOL Multiphysics\textsuperscript{\textregistered} module LiveLink\textsuperscript{\texttrademark} for MATLAB\textsuperscript{\textregistered} to build up equation-based COMSOL Multiphysics\textsuperscript{\textregistered} models from scratch. The present contribution highlights how MCPlas is used to implement time-dependent models for non-thermal plasmas in spatially one-dimensional and axisymmetric two-dimensional geometries and stresses out the benefit of automation of the modelling procedure. The modelling codes generated by MCPlas are used to study diffuse and filamentary dielectric barrier discharges in argon at sub-atmospheric and atmospheric pressure, respectively. The seamless transition between different levels of model complexity with respect to the considered model geometry is demonstrated. The presented investigation of a single-filament dielectric barrier discharge interacting with a dielectric surface shows that complex phenomena of high technological relevance can be tackled by using plasma models implemented in COMSOL Multiphysics\textsuperscript{\textregistered} via MCPlas.