Reflected power measurements on microwave plasma jets contained in different dielectric tubes
Abstract
Low power reflection is critical in the performance of microwave plasma jets. In this paper, the reflected power measured from a microwave plasma jet was minimized by variation of tuner stub settings. The plasma jet contained in various dielectric tubes was generated at an input power of 600W and argon gas flow rates from 1 to 14 LPM. It was observed that 0 % power reflection can be attained at certain ranges of tuner stub settings. These ranges change with the gas flow rate and type of dielectric tube. The tuner stub settings where successful ignition of the plasma jet occured for various gas flow rates and dielectric tubes were also determined. High frequency simulations explain the mechanisms behind low and high % power reflection of the plasma jet.