A multichannel discharge between a stream electrolytic cathode and a metal anode at atmospheric pressure

An experimental investigation is performed of the structure and current-voltage characteristics (CVC) of a multichannel discharge (MD) between a stream electrolytic cathode (SEC) and a metal anode, as well as of the density of SEC and anode current in a wide range of values of current $I=0.02-10$ A, interelectrode spacing $l=5-50$ mm, and anode diameter $d_a=5–40$ mm. The development of cathode spots on the SEC surface is studied. It is found that a cathode spot of SEC may have various shapes and structures (regular circle, horseshoes, filamentary spots, and so on). The CVC of a multichannel discharge between SEC and metal anode depends significantly on $I$, $l$, and $d_a$, as well as on the material of the anode and on the composition and concentration of electrolyte. The dependence of the density of SEC current on discharge current is nonmonotonic. It is for the first time that a bundle-like MD between SEC and metal anode and multichannel and diffuse discharges between the plasma region and stream electrolytic cathode are observed, and their characteristics are investigated.