Dry reforming of methane (DRM) in a gliding arc plasmatron is studied for different CH fractions in the mixture. The CO and CH conversions reach their highest values of approximately 18 and 10 %, respectively, at 25 % CH in the gas mixture, corresponding to an overall energy cost of 10 kJ L (or 2.5 eV per molecule) and an energy efficiency of 66 %. CO and H are the major products, with the formation of smaller fractions of C H (x=2, 4, or 6) compounds and H O. A chemical kinetics model is used to investigate the underlying chemical processes. The calculated CO and CH conversion and the energy efficiency are in good agreement with the experimental data. The model calculations reveal that the reaction of CO (mainly at vibrationally excited levels) with H radicals is mainly responsible for the CO conversion, especially at higher CH fractions in the mixture, which explains why the CO conversion increases with increasing CH fraction. The main process responsible for CH conversion is the reaction with OH radicals. The excellent energy efficiency can be explained by the non-equilibrium character of the plasma, in which the electrons mainly activate the gas molecules, and by the important role of the vibrational kinetics of CO . The results demonstrate that a gliding arc plasmatron is very promising for DRM.

The Cover Feature shows a gliding arc plasmatron (a new type of plasma reactor) that can convert methane through dry reforming into useful fuels and compounds. This process can fit into the “cradle‐to‐cradle” concept, as waste (CO2 and CH4) can be converted into raw materials (syngas) for the chemical industry using renewable energy. A non‐thermal plasma can accomplish this reaction in an energy efficient way because only the electrons are heated and they activate the gas molecules. A gliding‐arc plasma is very promising as it operates at atmospheric pressure and yields a good energy efficiency. More information can be found in the Full Paper by Cleiren et al. on page 4025 in Issue 20, 2017 (DOI: 10.1002/cssc.201701274).