Dissociation of CO2 in a low current gliding arc plasmatron

Abstract

The process of CO2 dissociation was studied in a non-equilibrium gliding arc plasmatron (GAP). The GAP was designed not only for efficient reforming but also to ensure significant variability of reactor parameters. The effect of vortex flow configuration on efficiency was also studied in the reactor by comparing forward vortex flow and reverse vortex flow. The maximum thermodynamic efficiency of the dissociation process was determined to be approximately 43%. The high level of efficiency may be attributed to non-equilibrium vibrational excitation of CO2 and a high-temperature gradient between gliding arc and the surrounding gas that results in fast quenching. © 2011 IOP Publishing Ltd.