The operation of a nanosecond repetitively pulsed discharge for partial oxidation of CH4 is characterized at atmospheric pressure and room temperature. Two regimes are observed: diffuse and filamentary. The first is a low power regime, characterized by low rotational temperatures around 400 K. The second is much more energetic with rotational temperatures close to 600 K. Both have vibrational temperatures of at least 10 times their rotational temperatures. The average electron number density was determined to be and cm−3, respectively, showing an increase in the ionization fraction in the more powerful filamentary regime. Results of CH4 conversion to H2, CO, CO2 and C2H6 are presented for the filamentary regime, while the diffuse regime shows no measurable conversion ability. As expected, oxidative mixtures show higher conversion ability than pure CH4. A maximum conversion efficiency of 26.3% and a maximum energy efficiency of 19.7% were reached for the oxidative mixtures.

This study investigates the effect of diffuse non-equilibrium nanosecond-pulsed plasma at atmospheric pressure on a lean-premixed CH4-air flame (ϕ = 0.65, P ∼ 0.3 kW). The domain of diffuse plasma existence is explored for both the case of the cold flow (no flame) and the case where a flame is stabilized downstream. The dynamics of plasma propagation and the flame displacement, following a high-voltage pulse, were measured using intensified charge-coupled device imaging. The energy of the plasma was measured using electrical probes and measurements of the second positive system of nitrogen were used to determine the rotational temperature and vibrational populations in the plasma. The effect of plasma on a flame was investigated by varying the pulse repetition frequency gradually from 1 to 7 kHz. Time-resolved imaging of the plasma emission shows that the primary streamer travels at higher velocities with increased pulsing frequency and with the presence of a flame ignited downstream of the discharge. Time-resolved imaging of the flame, following a high-voltage pulse, shows that the flame moves upstream into the unburned methane-air mixture with increased pulsing frequency. As the flame is displaced upstream, the nature of the discharge also changes, whereby less energy is coupled to the gas volume. Spectroscopic results reveal that the region in which the flame stabilizes is that of highest vibrational excitation and lowest rotational temperature. This actuation method is evidence of low-temperature chemical flame enhancement and potential control of a lean-premixed laminar flame at atmospheric pressure.

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