Multi-mode Plasma Reactor for Fluid Injection Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current plasma reactors face limitations in effectively treating fluids by efficiently creating and injecting plasma into another fluid, particularly in applications like hydrogen enrichment, nitrogen fixing, and water treatment, where the existing technologies struggle to achieve optimal plasma generation and fluid interaction.
Innovation Solution
A plasma reactor design featuring a housing with aligned passageways, fluid inlets, and electric field generators with embedded electrodes and dielectric shells, generating a hollow cylindrical electric field to ionize the first fluid and inject the plasma into the second fluid, enhancing plasma generation and mixing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional plasma reactors are used to generate plasma and inject it into another fluid, then plasma generation occurs, but the treatment efficiency and plasma-fluid interaction effectiveness are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The reactor chamber is segmented into distinct zones: a plasma generation zone with electric field generators, a mixing zone where plasma interacts with the second fluid, and separate inlet/outlet regions. This segmentation allows optimized plasma generation in one zone while ensuring effective mixing in another, resolving the contradiction between plasma generation effectiveness and treatment efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the reactor are given different functional qualities: the first region contains electric field generators for plasma creation, while the second region is optimized for plasma-fluid mixing and treatment. This local differentiation ensures that plasma generation effectiveness is maintained in the generation zone while treatment efficiency is maximized in the mixing zone
2Reliability
If electric field generators are positioned to generate plasma, then plasma is created, but optimal plasma generation and fluid interaction are not achieved simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from a single-zone reactor to a multi-zone three-dimensional structure where plasma generation occurs in a first region and fluid interaction occurs in a second region. This spatial dimensionality change allows both plasma generation effectiveness and fluid interaction effectiveness to be optimized independently in their respective zones
Solution Approach 2:
The reactor chamber acts as an intermediary space that facilitates the transition from plasma generation to plasma-fluid interaction. The structured chamber design with aligned passageways and designated zones serves as a mediator that ensures plasma created in the first region effectively interacts with the second fluid in the second region
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design effectively creates a plasma that is injected into the second fluid, improving treatment outcomes such as hydrogen enrichment, nitrogen fixing, and water treatment by enhancing the interaction and bonding of plasma ions with the fluid, leading to improved efficiency and product formation.
Implementation Method 1
The first electric field generator may generate a first electric field of roughly hollow cylindrical shape, wherein the first fluid passes through the first electric field creating a plasma
Data Source
AI summary
A plasma reactor comprises a housing, a first fluid inlet, a second fluid inlet, a first electric field generator, and an effluent outlet. The housing includes an axial aligned passageway and an internal reactor chamber coupled with the passageway. The first fluid inlet receives and delivers a first fluid to the reactor chamber. The second fluid inlet receives and delivers a second fluid to the reactor chamber. The first electric field generator is positioned in the reactor chamber and includes a first electrode and a spaced apart second electrode. The first electric field generator generates a first electric field, wherein the first fluid passes through the first electric field creating a plasma which is injected into the second fluid while the second fluid is flowing through the passageway to create an effluent. The effluent outlet receives the effluent from the reactor chamber and delivers it to a destination.