Experimental study of corona jet produced from a circular tube fitted with a nozzle

The flow characteristics of a corona jet, which is produced from a single needle electrode positioned at the centerline of a circular tube fitted with a grounded stainless-steel nozzle at one end of the tube, is experimentally evaluated. Six nozzles with two diameter ratios and three taper angles are evaluated for their effectiveness in accelerating the jet produced by corona discharge with positive polarity. To determine the maximum jet velocity and volume flow rate, experiments have been conducted at a voltage ranging from corona onset (5 kV) to sparkover (approximately 12.5 kV) at an increment of 2.5 kV. The results show that the jet velocity increases with the applied voltage. The maximum velocity occurs at the center line but its value decreases as the jet expands downstream. In addition, the results show that a nozzle with a smaller diameter ratio does not always perform the best in accelerating the flow or producing the maximum volume flow rate. The nozzle's taper angle further accentuates the result produced by the diameter ratio. The implications from the present results for actual applications are provided.