Plasma-catalyst interaction studied in a single pellet DBD reactor: dielectric constant effect on plasma dynamics

Abstract

A novel single dielectric pellet DBD that is designed to facilitate studying the interaction between plasmas and catalysts is presented. The influence of material dielectric constant on plasma dynamics across a range of applied voltages is determined through the use of electrical characterisation combined with videos of the discharge. Different discharge modes in nitrogen are observed and their behaviour is characterised. A particular focus is given to the phenomenon known as 'partial discharging'. This is where incomplete plasma formation occurs between the electrodes of the reactor, which may have implications for the fair testing of catalysts in packed bed reactors. Additionally, the occurrence of an 'almond shaped' QV plot in the event of pointto-point discharging in PBRs is explained. This work provides easily implemented analytical techniques that can be applied to understand the behaviour of plasmas within packed bed DBD reactors.

Coupling of CH4 to C2 Hydrocarbons in a Packed Bed DBD Plasma Reactor: The Effect of Dielectric Constant and Porosity of the Packing

“…The literature values for the dielectric constant of the tested materials are presented in Table 1. Among all tested materials, BaTiO 3 possesses the highest dielectric constant (>1000) [18]. In general, the dielectric constant of ferroelectric materials, i.e., BaTiO 3 , can largely vary depending on the applied frequency and temperature.…”

“…According to the existing literature, different parameters such as dielectric constant, surface area, porosity, packing density, and the shape of the packing are considered as the parameters that effectively change the conversion and the yield of products [11][12][13][14][15][16][17]. Among all important properties of the packing, the dielectric property of the packing is one of the determining factors in creating a synergistic plasma-catalyst system [18].…”

Sustainable Non‐Thermal Plasma‐Assisted Nitrogen Fixation—Synergistic Catalysis

“…It was discoveredt hat ah igher voltage would lead to more surface reactions via the ER mechanism. Butterworth andA llen [62] studied the main plasma-catalyst interactions for severald ielectric materials that could be potentially used in the NTPNF process. One representative studies was performed by Zhu et al,w ho studied the air plasma for the treatment of the Ni/Al 2 O 3 catalyst.…”

“…However, its catalytic activity should also be taken into account based on previousevidences of plasmacatalysti nteractions. Butterworth andA llen [62] studied the main plasma-catalyst interactions for severald ielectric materials that could be potentially used in the NTPNF process. They found that the plasma discharge for these materials occurreda tt he poles of the electrode-pallet interface.…”

“…Regionsoft he plasma discharge behaviors of dielectric pallets, using yttria-stabilized zirconia as an example. A, B, C, and Ds tand for different plasma behaviors:polar To wnsend, polar streamer, unstable streamer, and stable streamer,respectively.Re-printed from Butterworth et al [62] with permission from IOP Publishing. [73] E N denotesthe adsorption energy of nitrogen.…”