Atmospheric pressure glow discharge in air used for ethanol conversion: experiment and modelling

Complex theoretical and experimental investigation of ethanol into syngas conversion assisted by DC atmospheric pressure discharge with plasma cathode is presented. Infrared absorption spectroscopy together with the equation for the conservation of the number of atoms at the inlet and outlet of the reactor are used to determine the composition of syngas, the main components of which are hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane and acetylene. It is shown that the plasmachemical reactor enables efficient (over 90%) ethanol into syngas conversion with an output of 2 L min(-1) and at energy costs of about 3 electron-volts per one hydrogen molecule. Numerical modeling of conversion kinetics at discharge conditions was performed assuming thermal nature of the process. Experimental and calculated data are in good agreement.