Design and Development of a Configurable High Voltage Power Supply for Atmospheric Plasma Generation

The design and experimental validation of a low-power, high-voltage power supply for atmospheric plasma generation are presented in this paper. The proposed system is based on a MOSFET-based push-pull inverter topology that drives a center-tapped step-up transformer to convert a 24-30 VDC input into an adjustable high-voltage output up to approximately 20 kV suitable for atmospheric-pressure plasma loads. The inverter operates in the 19 to 23 kHz range, with the STM32 microcontroller generating complementary PWM gate signals that have configurable duty cycles, frequencies, and dead times to control the output voltage and power delivered to the plasma reactor. The power stage integrates optically isolated MOSFET gate drivers, dedicated voltage and current sensing circuits, and comparator-based overvoltage and overcurrent protection. A Nextion HMI touchscreen provides a user-friendly interface for configuring electrical parameters. Simulation results show correct push-pull operation and square-wave excitation of the transformer primary coil, and laboratory prototypes demonstrate stable high-voltage generation up to 20 kV over the frequency range when supplied from a regulated DC source. The resulting prototype constitutes a compact, configurable, and scalable platform for future solar-powered atmospheric plasma applications in laboratory and field environments.