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Center for High Pressure Plasma, Energy, Agriculture, and Biomedical Technologies (PEAB)

Center Overview

The mission of the Center for High Pressure Plasma, Energy, Agriculture, and Biomedical Technologies (C-PEAB) is to provide national coordination of fundamental and applied research in the fields of atmospheric, high-pressure, and liquid-phase plasma physics, chemistry, and biology, specifically focusing on new applications of plasmas.

Atmospheric, high-pressure, and liquid-phase plasma physics, chemistry, and biology form a novel area of plasma science and engineering. Increased interest in the field of plasma science and engineering is related to breakthrough novel applications of such plasmas to energy systems; cleaning of air, water, and other liquids; processing and synthesizing new materials; agriculture; nonchemical and nonthermal food processing; cosmetics; and especially plasma medicine. These applications are the major focus of the work being done at C-PEAB.

Universities

George Washington University
Drexel University
University of Michigan

View Center Website

Center Personnel

John Foster
University of Michigan Site director
+1 734 763 6438
jefoster@umich.edu

Danil Dobrynin
Drexel University, Site Director
+1 215 895 6254
dvd34@drexel.edu

Alexander Fridman
Center Director
+1 215 895 5849
fridman@drexel.edu

Michael Keidar
George Washington University Site director
+1 202 994 0728
keidar@gwu.edu

Research Focus

Fundamentals of atmospheric, high-pressure, and liquid-phase plasmas are very specific and challenging because of their strongly collisional nature, their often extremely high electric fields, space-time plasma instabilities, and specific restrictions on system uniformity and control. C-PEAB focuses on fundamental and applied investigations in the following areas:

Agriculture

C-PEAB research on plasma agricultures includes plasma stimulation of plant growth, seed germination, and hydroponics, as well as plasma application for water conservation in agriculture.

Cleaning of air

C-PEAB research includes investigations of air cleaning from industrial exhausts and chemical and biological pollutants.

Cleaning of water and other liquids

C-PEAB research on the cleaning of water and other liquids includes the control of water hardness, the cleaning of fracking and produced water, the control of perfluorooctane sulfonate and perfluorooctanoic acid in water, and water sanitization and sterilization.

Cosmetics

C-PEAB explores the use of plasma cosmetics for skin rejuvenation, treatment of nail fungus, and cleaning and whitening of teeth.

Energy systems

C-PEAB research on plasma energy systems which includes the optimization, safety, and scaling of relevant discharge and devices.

Nonchemical and nonthermal food processing

C-PEAB research on plasma food processing includes plasma-stimulated washing and misting of fresh produce and plasma treatment of packaged food.

Plasma medicine

C-PEAB research on plasma medicine includes diagnostics, optimization, and standardization of plasma medical devices; the development of adaptive and self-adaptive plasmas for plasma medicine; analyses of the application of plasma to dermatology, wound healing, and blood treatment and coagulation; and the treatment of different types of cancers.

Processing and synthesizing new materials

C-PEAB explores the processing and synthesis of new materials, including microelectronic materials, polymers, metals, and novel energetic material.

Awards

1747671

IUCRC Phase I Drexel University: Center for High Pressure Plasma Energy, Agriculture, and Biomedical Technologies (PEAB)

Advances in the science of atmospheric pressure plasmas have enabled breakthrough opportunities to improve our Nation's healthcare, economic prosperity and defense. These science breakthroughs have resulted in the development of new technologies in green energy, environmental remediation, water treatment and cleaning, medicine, food processing, and agriculture. These are the core fundamental areas of science and technology to be addressed by the Center for High Pressure Plasma Energy, Agriculture, and Biomedical Technologies (C-PEAB). Drexel University (DU), University of Michigan (UM), and George Washington University (GWU), leading institutions in the scientific subject area, are synergistically collaborating with each other and with their industrial partners as the founding members of the C-PEAB. This effort will support STEM education with focused recruitment of women and underrepresented minorities, produce an interdisciplinary workforce, and integrate novel breakthrough technologies with industry. While having long-term collaborations in plasma science with GWU and UM, Drexel University's unique contribution to the C-PEAB team is based upon DU?s pioneering research achievements in plasma medicine and plasma agriculture as well as scientific and technological experience in scaling up atmospheric pressure plasma devices from laboratory to industrial scale.

Low Temperature non-equilibrium Plasma (LTP) science is the base upon which many modern industries such as microelectronics and micro-fabrication have been built. Current breakthroughs in plasma-generating electronics have made it possible to widen the area of LTP applications to atmospheric and higher pressures. These application areas are the focus of the Center for High Pressure Plasma Energy, Agriculture, and Biomedical Technologies (C-PEAB). The C-PEAB will translate science breakthroughs in diagnostics, pulse power and modeling to optimizing industrial applications in energy, environmental remediation, food safety and food processing, and medical and bioengineering. C-PEAB will initially consist of a three-site IUCRC between Drexel University (DU), University of Michigan (UM), and George Washington University (GWU) with subsequent addition of new member universities who have strong industry collaborations in high-pressure plasma applications pertinent to the C-PEAB. While having long-term collaboration experience in plasma science with GWU and UM, Drexel University site's unique contribution to the C-PEAB team is especially based upon DU?s core expertise in science and engineering of atmospheric and higher pressure (1) nanosecond and sub-nanosecond pulsed dielectric barrier discharges, and (2) non-equilibrium gliding arcs, stabilized in tornado flow. Read More >

Member Organizations

IUCRC affiliated member organizations are displayed as submitted by the Center. Non-federal organizations are not selected, approved, or otherwise endorsed by the U.S. National Science Foundation.

AA Plasma
AJ PlasmaTech
AquaAerobics
Bridge12
CPL Systems
EHT
Lockheed Martin
Plasma Licensing
Plasmology4
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
PuriFi
Sandia National Laboratories
Supra Water
TechX
UNISCRAP

The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the Center author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. National Science Foundation.