Analysis of the tuning characteristics of microwave plasma source

In this paper, we present an analysis of the tuning characteristics of waveguide-supplied metal-cylinder-based nozzleless microwave plasma source. This analysis has enabled to estimate the electron concentration ne and electron frequency collisions ν in the plasma generated in nitrogen and in a mixture of nitrogen and ethanol vapour. The parameters ne and ν are the basic quantities that characterize the plasma. The presented new plasma diagnostic method is particularly useful, when spectroscopic methods are useless. The presented plasma source is currently used in research of a hydrogen production from liquids.