Improving energy consumption in plasma reforming of methane through gliding arc
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: As the demand for sustainable energy increases, hydrogen production from natural gas has garnered significant attention. Plasma reforming of natural gas using clean electricity promises low-carbon pathway for hydrogen production. However, the high energy consumption of plasma reforming remains a major challenge. This work utilizes pulsed gliding arc to maintain plasma discharge during pulse intervals. Electrical signal analysis indicates that the arcs can continue gliding with only 1 % of the peak voltage during pulse intervals, with the plasma self-sustaining for up to 50 μs. Images captured by intensified complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (ICMOS) sensors and fluid simulation results demonstrate that the plasma arc retains methane dissociation activity during the self-sustaining phase. The minimum specific energy consumption for hydrogen production is 127 kJ/mol, which is only 20 % of the energy consumption of current mainstream methane reforming by plasma processes . The gliding arc plasma technique offers an efficient catalyst-free approach for green and low-energy hydrogen production.
Source: Energy Conversion and Management
Authors: Haochuan He, Changhua Wang, He Ma, Hancheng Zhu, Xintong Zhang
Institution: Northeast Normal University
Language: English
Subfield: Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,470
OpenAlex ID: W4405583655