Methane-Augmented Microwave Plasma Burner

Abstract

In this paper, a microwave plasma burner for generating an enlarged high-temperature and large-volume plasma flame by injecting methane gas into the microwave plasma torch was presented. The air microwave plasma torch explosively burned out the hydrocarbon fuel by high atomic oxygen density. It was observed that the volume of the plasma-burner flame was more about ten times than that of the plasma-torch flame, showing an expanded burner flame. In the comparison of flames, while a conventional <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$hboxCH_4$</tex> burner reveals the flame of blue color, the <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$hboxCH_4$</tex> microwave plasma burner shows milky white flame. Also, preliminary experiments were carried out by measuring the temperature profiles of flames along axial and radial directions. Also, we measured the combustion efficiency and reduction rate of <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$hboxNO_2$</tex> for <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$hboxCH_4$</tex> plasma burner by employing gas chromatography and Fourier transform infrared.