New Plasma Laboratory at FEEC BUT
A new plasma laboratory, equipped for the research and development of plasma sources operating at atmospheric pressure, was recently put into operation at the Department of Theoretical and Experimental Electrical Engineering (DTEEE). The ceremonial opening was also attended by the Dean of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication (FEEC BUT), Vladimír Aubrecht.
Opening of the new plasma laboratory at FEEC. | Author: Jakub Rozboud
The laboratory was created by reconstructing a space that previously served as a workplace for the chemical preparation of printed circuit boards. Technical modifications were necessary for the operation of the plasma sources—electric discharges at atmospheric pressure (more powerful ventilation, filtered compressed air supply, safety features), which entailed considerable investment.
A major contribution to the establishment of the laboratory was made by Lenka Zajíčková, head of the Plasma Technologies research group at CEITEC BUT and an associate professor at FEEC (DTEEE). As part of a planned scientific and research collaboration with the German company Plasmatreat, she secured the long-term loan of their Openair® plasma source with a rotating nozzle and a 3D robotic system for programmable plasma nozzle movement. Lenka Zajíčková's team has been focusing on plasmachemical surface modifications using various plasma sources for a long time (at both reduced and atmospheric pressure). The advantage of plasma nozzles operating at atmospheric pressure is their flexibility in industrial applications. Plasmatreat is very successful in implementing its Openair® technology in industry because plasma treatment enables, for example, the uniform application of coatings and decorations on the surface of hydrophobic materials or the creation of stronger adhesive bonds between plastics and metals. This is also important for development in the field of modern mobility, as it reduces the weight of transport vehicles and thus leads to fuel savings or the development of electromobility. However, Openair® technology is also successful, for example, in the field of electronics, where it is used for surface cleaning and activation. Although the technology is used in industry, there are still some open R&D questions associated with it, which Lenka Zajíčková's team will address in collaboration with Plasmatreat.
Representatives of Plasmatreat installed the equipment on the day of the opening and trained DTEEE and CEITEC BUT staff in its operation. The technical preparation of the laboratory, which allowed for the change of its purpose, was provided by the DTEEE team with the main assistance of Miloš Klíma, a researcher at DTEEE.
In addition to the Plasmatreat plasma nozzle, the laboratory is also equipped with another plasma nozzle based on a blown gliding arc from the Czech company Surfacetreat. Lenka Zajíčková's team collaborated with this company on a TRIO research project of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic. In the future, the laboratory equipment is expected to be expanded with other devices for researching plasma applications in material surface treatments to improve their functional parameters and properties, such as cold plasma jets excited by radiofrequency voltage, which can also be used for hydrogel modification and, due to their miniaturization, allow for the consideration of combining plasma treatment with 3D printing.
The laboratory will serve research purposes and will also expand the practical teaching opportunities in courses provided by the Department of Power Electrical and Electronic Engineering. Specifically, these are the bachelor's course Technické aplikace plazmatu (Technical Applications of Plasma) and the master's course Fyzika a diagnostika plazmatu (Physics and Diagnostics of Plasma). Students will have the opportunity to work with modern plasma technologies and become familiar with their practical applications. Lenka Zajíčková also offers interesting topics for student qualification theses or as part of the annual EEICT student competition held at FEEC.
| Responsible person | Ing. Zdeňka Koubová |
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