Abstract
CO2 and CH4 are two greenhouse gases that cause global warming. Hence, methods are being developed to convert these gases into renewable fuels or value-added chemical feedstock. Plasma technology is promising for this application. In this project I will investigate the bi-reforming of methane, in which CO2 and CH4 are converted together with H2O. This has the advantages of a better H2/CO ratio and no coke deposition compared to the dry reforming of methane (without H2O addition). The aim is to obtain as high as possible conversion and energy efficiency. To achieve this, I will design and study a novel rotating gliding arc plasmatron reactor, in which the gas mixture is heated before it enters the reactor and quenched afterwards, to avoid the recombination reactions. This research will be based on both experiments and modelling. In the experiments I will measure the actual conversion and energy efficiency for a wide range of conditions, as well as the gas temperature, vibrational temperature and arc dynamics. In addition, I will develop and combine five different models for reactor design improvement, and to investigate the gas flow dynamics and the chemical reactions taking place in and after the plasma. The combination of experiments and modelling should result in an optimal conversion of CO2, CH4 and H2O in the designed reactor and more insight into the properties of the plasma and the reaction mechanisms behind this conversion.
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