Microwave plasma torches used for hydrogen production

A microwave plasma torch operating at 2.45 GHz and atmospheric pressure has been used as a medium and a tool for decomposition of alcohol in order to produce molecular hydrogen. Plasma in a gas mixture of argon and ethanol/methanol, with or without water, has been created using a waveguide surfatron...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of physics. Conference series 2014-01, Vol.516 (1), p.12002-10
Main Authors: Dias, F M, Bundaleska, N, Henriques, J, Tatarova, E, Ferreira, C M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Argon
Atmospheric pressure
Carbon
Carbon dioxide
Decomposition
Emission
Ethanol
Ethyl alcohol
Fourier transforms
Gas mixtures
Hydrogen production
Methanol
Methyl alcohol
Microwave plasmas
Optical emission spectroscopy
Physics
Plasma
Plasma torches
Reaction products
Waveguides
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Summary:A microwave plasma torch operating at 2.45 GHz and atmospheric pressure has been used as a medium and a tool for decomposition of alcohol in order to produce molecular hydrogen. Plasma in a gas mixture of argon and ethanol/methanol, with or without water, has been created using a waveguide surfatron launcher and a microwave generator delivering a power in the range 0.2-2.0 kW. Mass, Fourier Transform Infrared, and optical emission spectrometry have been applied as diagnostic tools. The decomposition yield of methanol was nearly 100 % with H2, CO, CO2, H2O, and solid carbon as the main reaction products. The influence of the fraction of Ar flow through the liquid ethanol/methanol on H2, CO, and CO2 partial pressures has been investigated, as well as the dependence of the produced H2 flow on the total flow and power. The optical emission spectrum in the range 250–700 nm has also been detected. There is a decrease of the OH(A-X) band intensity with the increase of methanol in the mixture. The emission of carbon atoms in the near UV range (240–300 nm) exhibits a significant increase as the amount of alcohol in the mixture grows. The obtained results clearly show that this microwave plasma torch at atmospheric pressure provides an efficient plasma environment for hydrogen production.
ISSN:1742-6588
1742-6596
DOI:10.1088/1742-6596/516/1/012002