Plasma-Based Reactor for Methane Conversion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional plasma-based reactors require high temperature and high power conditions to convert methane into higher hydrocarbons and hydrogen gas, limiting their efficiency and operational feasibility.
Innovation Solution
A plasma-based reactor system utilizing radio frequency (RF) resonators to generate low-temperature coronal plasma, which chemically modifies reactants at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, enabling efficient conversion of methane into higher hydrocarbons and ammonia production without a metal catalyst.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional plasma-based reactors are used to convert methane into higher hydrocarbons, then chemical conversion can be achieved, but high temperature and high power conditions are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional thermal plasma methods with a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma system. Instead of using high-temperature thermal processes, the invention employs non-thermal plasma generated by applying high voltage across dielectric barriers, substituting thermal-mechanical energy with electrical-field-based energy to achieve chemical conversions at lower temperatures
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the operational parameters from high-temperature thermal plasma to non-thermal plasma at near-ambient temperatures. By controlling voltage, frequency, and dielectric properties, the system achieves effective plasma chemistry without requiring high temperature conditions, thus reducing energy consumption while maintaining conversion effectiveness
2Productivity
If conventional plasma-based reactors operate at high power conditions, then chemical reactions can be driven, but energy efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces high-power thermal plasma with low-power dielectric barrier discharge plasma. The DBD mechanism allows chemical reactions to proceed through electron impact and excited species rather than thermal energy, substituting inefficient thermal heating with more direct electrical-to-chemical energy conversion pathways that reduce energy losses
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs periodic alternating voltage applied across the dielectric barriers to generate pulsed plasma discharges. This periodic action allows the plasma to be sustained at lower average power levels compared to continuous high-power plasma, improving energy efficiency by allowing thermal relaxation between pulses while maintaining reactive species generation
3Ease of manufacture
If high temperature conditions are used in plasma-based reactors, then methane conversion is achieved, but operational feasibility and efficiency are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The invention substitutes high-temperature thermal processes with room-temperature dielectric barrier discharge plasma chemistry. This replacement makes the system operationally feasible for applications where high temperature is impractical, such as portable devices or temperature-sensitive processes, while maintaining effective methane conversion through non-thermal plasma mechanisms
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
The system achieves efficient conversion of methane into higher hydrocarbons and ammonia at lower temperatures and pressures, reducing energy and cost requirements while maintaining industrial applicability, and can be scaled for various chemical reactions including nitrogen fixation and carbon addition.
Implementation Method 1
The resonator is configured to provide a low-temperature coronal plasma when excited at a resonant wavelength
Implementation Method 2
The resonator is configured to provide a low-temperature coronal plasma when excited at a resonant wavelength
Data Source
AI summary
Devices, systems, and methods are provided that cause plasma-based chemical reactions. An example plasma-based reactor system includes a reactor chamber and an inlet port configured to provide an entry point for one or more reagents to enter the reactor chamber. The reactor system also includes an outlet port configured to provide an exit point for one or more chemical products to exit the reactor chamber. The reactor system also includes a resonator disposed within the reactor chamber and configured to provide a low-temperature coronal plasma when excited at a resonant wavelength. The low-temperature coronal plasma is configured to chemically modify at least a portion of the one or more reagents so as to form one or more chemical products.