Consideration of reactors configuration for NOx treatment by nanosecond pulsed power

Abstract

Nitrogen oxides (NOx) are one of the air pollutants that cause acid rain. Although utilization of catalysts is a typical established method of treatment to remove NOx, the catalyst is so expensive that the cost of treatment is high. The efficient treatments using pulsed power, which utilize the pulse streamer discharges, have been studied. We have brought the nanosecond pulsed power to the NOx treatment. More efficient treatment is expected with the high electric fields with a nanosecond pulse width. In using the nanosecond pulsed power, the issue of design and modification of reactors configuration becomes significant. The matching of reactor to the generator output is strict and the behaviors of discharges in the reactors as an electrical circuit are complicated. The reactors with coaxial electrodes were basically adopted and the removal ratios and the efficiencies were evaluated on various reactor configurations, in order to optimize the reactors configuration. The number, connecting method of the reactor chambers and of gas tubing was investigated to improve treatment efficiency in the experiment.