Removal of volatile organic compounds from air streams by making use of a microwave plasma burner with reverse vortex flows

Abstract

We developed an atmospheric-pressure microwave plasma burner for removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from polluted air streams. This study focused on the destruction of the VOCs in the high flow rate polluted streams required for industrial use. Plasma flames were sustained by injecting liquefied natural gas (LNG), which is composed of CH4, into the microwave plasma torch. With its high temperature and high density of atomic oxygen, the microwave torch attained nearly complete combustion of LNG, thereby providing a large-volume, high-temperature plasma flame. The plasma flame was applied to reactors in which the polluted streams were in one of two vortex flows: a conventional vortex reactor (CVR) or a reverse vortex reactor (RVR). The RVR, using a plasma power of 2 kW and an LNG flow of 20 liters per minute achieved a destruction removal efficiency (DRE) of 98% for an air flow rate of 5 Nm3/min polluted with 550 pm of VOCs.. For the same experimental parameters, the CVR provided a DRE of 90.2%. We expect that this decontamination system will prove effective in purifying contaminated air at high flow rates.