Numerical investigation on the CH4/CO2 nanosecond pulsed dielectric barrier discharge plasma at atmospheric pressure

Chengjie Bai,Li Li,Jianhui Sun,Xin Dong,Zhaoqian Liu,Jie Pan,Qinghua Xiao,Lijuan Wang

doi:10.1063/1.5063519

Abstract

The excellent non-equilibrium characteristic of the nanosecond pulsed dielectric barrier discharge (NPDBD) plasma can overcome thermodynamically barriers of reactions in the dry reforming of methane (DRM), so that the NPDBD plasma coupled with catalyst provides an attractive alternative to the traditional catalytic method of the DRM. In this work, the one-dimensional fluid model, including 68 species and 276 reactions, is built up to numerically investigate the atmospheric-pressure CH4/CO2 plasma driven by the nanosecond pulsed power supply. Discharge current densities, discharge gap voltages, dissipated power densities, spatial averaged particle densities and spatial distributions of the high-density species, and generating reaction pathways of the significant species in CH4, CO2, and CH4/CO2 NPDBD plasmas at atmospheric pressure are systematically illustrated and discussed. The simulation results should be valuable for optimizations of both existing and emerging DRM approaches using the NPDBD plasma, the plasma-assisted catalyst, and other novel plasma-based fuel reforming technologies.

Highlights

Increasing global energy demands result in the rapid exhaustion of fossil fuel reserves and the adverse impact of climate changes, which have posed serious threats to human society and aroused wide public concerns
High energy cost and severe coke deposition are two obvious drawbacks of the dry reforming of methane (DRM) based on conventional catalytic method, which limit the application of the DRM on a commercial scale
Because the non-equilibrium characteristic of the Dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma can overcome thermodynamically barriers scitation.org/journal/adv of reactions in the DRM, the plasma coupled with catalyst provides an attractive alternative to the traditional catalytic method of the DRM

Summary

Introduction

Increasing global energy demands result in the rapid exhaustion of fossil fuel reserves and the adverse impact of climate changes, which have posed serious threats to human society and aroused wide public concerns. As the principal component of natural gas and mine gas, methane (CH4) is the important hydrocarbon feedstock for the synthesis of fuels and chemicals. The H2/CO molar ratio in the product of the DRM is relatively low, which is beneficial to the further synthesis of long-chain hydrocarbons and value-added oxygenated chemicals.. Because the non-equilibrium characteristic of the DBD plasma can overcome thermodynamically barriers scitation.org/journal/adv of reactions in the DRM, the plasma coupled with catalyst provides an attractive alternative to the traditional catalytic method of the DRM The H2/CO molar ratio in the product of the DRM is relatively low, which is beneficial to the further synthesis of long-chain hydrocarbons and value-added oxygenated chemicals. high energy cost and severe coke deposition are two obvious drawbacks of the DRM based on conventional catalytic method, which limit the application of the DRM on a commercial scale. Dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasmas have the unique capacity to generate abundant highly reactive species such as electrons, ions, free radicals, and excited atoms and molecules at the wide gas pressure range. Because the non-equilibrium characteristic of the DBD plasma can overcome thermodynamically barriers scitation.org/journal/adv of reactions in the DRM, the plasma coupled with catalyst provides an attractive alternative to the traditional catalytic method of the DRM

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