Greenhouse Gases Reforming and Hydrogen Upgrading by Using Warm Plasma Technology

Abstract

Global warming is an alarming problem with adverse impact on climate change. Carbon dioxide (CO 2) and methane (CH 4) have been identified as the most significant greenhouse gases (GHG) normally arising from anthropogenic activities; therefore, promising treatment technologies are developing all over the world to resolve this problem. The warm plasma is an emergent process with low specific energy requirement capable to reach high temperature to produce excited species and support subsequent chemical reactions. Consequently, warm plasma reactors can be accomplished with simple structure reactors having high gas flow rates and treatment capacity. Plasma interaction with GHG leads into a molecular dissociation, mainly forming CO and H 2 , also known as syngas, which represents an alternative energy source with innovative applications in microturbines and fuel cells, among other emerging applications. The process here explained assures a significant reduction in CO 2 emission and H 2 yield upgrading. The reforming experimental results by using two warm plasma reactors are connected in series to improve the syngas yield. This alternative represents a great possibility for CO 2 conversion.

Impact of fuel cells on hydrogen energy pathways in a sustainable energy economy

“…Examples of such alternative technologies include autothermal reforming, 31–34 pyrolysis 35–37 and plasma processing. 38 Each of these technologies have the potential for lower GHG emissions from the production of H 2 using FF sources. However, for this work we focus on existing, large-scale processes for H 2 production using FF sources such as Steam Reforming (SR) and Coal Gasification (CG) for which there are well-defined input/output and efficiency parameters.…”