Nonthermal
plasma (NTP) used for NO removal has been studied for
a long time, but how to achieve the desired product with lower energy
consumption is still a barrier for its industrial application. Dielectric
barrier discharge (DBD) energized via an AC power supply was used
to generate NTP. Energy cost (EC, MJ/mol) and product measurements
were performed to reveal the effect of O2 content, NO concentration,
flow rate, and specific energy density (SED, J/L) on the performance
of DBD. The products (NO, NO2, N2O, and O3) of different SEDs were experimentally measured at 303 ±
2 K. On the basis of the variation of products with the change in
SED, the possible dominant plasma reaction and corresponding species
were discussed. The dominant reaction of DBD processes can be categorized
into oxidation, reduction, and product reactions with increasing SED
from 400 to 3500 J/L. Lower SED and higher O2 content are
beneficial for the conversion of NO to NO2 and O2 to O3. The O atoms and temperature play a significant
role in the interconversion of NO and NO2. A limitless
increase in SED will reduce the conversion of both NO to NO2 and NO to N2 due to the product’s reaction with
O and N atoms, respectively. The N2O was observed in all
DBD systems with the feeding of N2/O2.