Direct Non-oxidative Methane Conversion by Non-thermal Plasma: Modeling Study

The direct non-oxidative conversion of methane to higher hydrocarbons in dielectric barrier discharges has been investigated theoretically at atmospheric pressure. Preliminary modeling of the results is presented, based on a well-stirred reactor model to determine the spatially and time-averaged species composition through the solution of balance equations for species, mass, gas and electron energy. The results show good quantitative agreement between model predications and experimental measurements by considering the glow and after-glow regions. Moreover, the model has predicted that there exists a transition where the main product of ethane will transform to acetylene by increasing the specific energy. The dominant reaction paths and the possibility of selective to C2 hydrocarbons have been discussed. A list of gas-phase reactions has been compiled for modeling methane conversion in non-thermal plasma and can be employed in more sophisticated two- or three-dimensional plasma simulations.