Spark Discharge Plasma-Enabled CO₂ Conversion Sustained by a Compact, Energy-Efficient, and Low-Cost Power Supply

Abstract

Plasma-enabled CO2 conversion is an appealing technology to achieve carbon neutrality. Aiming at cost-effective utilization of CO2, a compact and low-cost commercial power supply was applied to sustain spark discharge plasma-enabled CO2 dissociation under extreme conditions of high vibrational and rotational temperatures and reduced electrical fields. It showed that the power supply could obtain the maximum electrical efficiency of 47.7%. The effects of electrode configuration on the CO2 conversion performance were investigated. The highest CO2 conversion rate of 10.3% and energy efficiency of 8.1% were achieved by 2 and 1 mm needle–plate electrodes, while the highest discharge power of 12.8 W was reached by 6 mm plate–plate electrodes. Collectively, optical emission spectroscopy and computational fluid dynamics simulation revealed the synergistic effects of electron-induced excitation and heat/gas transfer on the conversion performance. This work provides alternatives for plasma power supplies and sheds light on the panorama of spark discharge plasma-enabled CO2 conversion.

Enhancing CO2 Conversion via Atmospheric Pressure Glow Discharge Plasma Jet Coupled with Catalysts

“…In the laminar regime, the increase of flow rate lengthens the plasma jet and enhances the contact effect between active species in plasma and catalysts, resulting in a gradual increase of conversion rate. The reason for the significant increase of the conversion rate when the flow rate increases from 900 to 1100 mL/min is that the presence of turbulence reduces the gas temperature and thus the product recombination reaction rate. , Therefore, the maximum conversion at 1100 mL/min flow rate when discharge power is 60 and 80 W can be attributed to the operation condition of the catalyst because laminar increased the plasma volume and turbulent decreased gas temperature in the jet area. The increase in discharge power possesses a positive effect on the conversion rate due to the production of more active species and a negative effect on energy efficiency due to more heat generated and a higher composite reaction rate.…”

Upscaling Plasma-Based CO2 Conversion: Case Study of a Multi-Reactor Gliding Arc Plasmatron

“…Upscaling MW plasmolysis of CO 2 has been done in terms of reactor volume, which allowed high flow rates (up to 100 L/min; entry 7) but resulted in a low conversion, which leads to low CR values. In one of the most recent works, a spark-type plasma was used for CO 2 conversion . However, despite the big advantage of a very low-cost power supply unit (PSU), the process metrics (i.e., EE and CO 2 CR) were substantially lower than those of arc plasmas (Table , entry 8).…”

“…Our previous works on CO 2 plasmolysis with GAP reactors (Table , entries 9 and 10) indicate that the absolute conversion and EE are on par with other plasma reactors. While the performance is not chart-topping, they have a relatively simple design and can be driven with low-cost, low-complexity power supply units (PSUs): the price of the plasma setup PSUs has been identified as one of the factors hindering the wide application of APPs . While classical gliding arc plasmas typically reach 5–6% of absolute conversion, the more advanced reverse-vortex designs can reach ca.…”

Virtual Special Issue on Chemical Engineering under Extreme Conditions

“…Herein, our researchers break the boundaries of standard operating conditions, into the realms of unknown phenomena at extreme temperatures, pressures, acidities, and electromagnetism. I&EC Research has a long history of exploring the extremes, from our first paper in 1963 developing lubricants for liquid fuel-powered missiles, to our latest papers on plasma catalysts in high-voltage environments. − We hope this issue inspires you to turn up the dial on your own research and discover new properties and applications in chemical engineering.…”

“…Plasma is the most extreme state of matter: a soup of charged particles, active species in excited states, and reactive radicals . It is no surprise then that our plasma researchers have submitted their latest findings to this VSI, using plasma to upcycle plastic waste, regenerate waste catalysts, and convert CO 2 to CH 4 or CO and O 2 . , …”