Prof. Chunqi Jiang
Frank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Old Dominion University

Abstract

Low-temperature atmospheric-pressure plasmas in forms of streamers and surface discharges are known to be weakly ionized and highly non-equilibrium. When powered by nanosecond pulses, the low-temperature plasma can contain energetic electrons that enable selective and energy-efficient chemistry but with mean energy of the heavy particles at or near room temperature. Such plasmas have been developed in the past decades for numerous applications including plasma-assisted ignition for combustion, pollution control, fuel reforming, plasma-aided nitration for agriculture, and plasma medicine. In addition to an introduction to the plasma sources, this talk provides two examples where transient plasmas driven by repetitive nanosecond high voltage pulses are used to achieve efficient, lean-fuel ignition for combustion and controlled oxidation-reduction chemistry for medical applications such as cancer therapy and plasmid DNA delivery.

 
Brief bio: 

Chunqi Jiang is a professor affiliated with both the Frank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Old Dominion University (ODU). She received her PhD in Electrical Engineering from ODU and postdoctoral training in the pulsed power research group at University of Southern California (USC). She has engaged in non-equilibrium plasma science and pulsed power engineering for over 20 years, published about 80 peer-reviewed journal and conference papers, 7 book chapters, and holds one patent. Her recent research interests include fundamental studies of nanosecond pulsed plasma sources and their applications in industrial, environmental, and biomedical fields. Her research has been funded by the US Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Department of Energy, and National Institutes of Health. She serves on the editorial board for Frontiers of Physics. She is an IEEE senior member, and Chair of the IEEE NPSS Plasma Science and Applications Executive Committee.