One‐Step Nitrogen Fixation by a Magnetic Field Stabilized Glow Discharge (MSGD) With Ethanol Solution and Nitrogen

Abstract

This article presents a one‐step nitrogen fixation (NF) process using ethanol solution and nitrogen as raw materials and a magnetic field stabilized glow discharge (MSGD) as a plasma reactor, in which the plasma is stabilized at a fixed position under the opposing forces of the Lorentz force and airflow. Compared to deionized water, the participation of ethanol promotes the generation of NH3 and NOx. This is because the addition of ethanol not only serves as a source of hydrogen but also facilitates the generation of OH, which further reacts to produce NO through , thereby increasing NOx concentration and reducing energy consumption. Additionally, with an increase in ethanol volume fraction, the concentration of NF products also increases, reaching saturation when the ethanol volume fraction reaches 50%. At an ethanol volume fraction of 50%, the energy consumption for NF is lowest at a discharge current of 40 mA, at approximately 4.92 MJ/mol. The range of the reduced electric field strength of MSGD is calculated to be approximately 31.9 ~ 39.7 Td, at which about 90% of the electrical energy is converted into N2(v) vibrational states. At this point, NO is primarily formed by the Zeldovich mechanism (), which is the main reason for the lower energy consumption of NF in MSGD compared with the other two scenarios (opposite magnetic field and no magnetic field). Finally, the lower energy consumption of MSGD compared with the other two scenarios is discussed, highlighting that this is mainly due to its high gas utilization rate, high N2 vibrational energy, and high electrical energy utilization efficiency.