Evaluation on a double-chamber gas-liquid phase discharge reactor for benzene degradation

A double-chamber gas-liquid phase DBD reactor (GLDR), consisting of a gas-phase discharge chamber and a gas-liquid discharge chamber in series, was designed to enhance the degradation of benzene and the emission of NOx. The performance of the GLDR on discharge characteristics, reactive species production and benzene degradation was compared to that of the single-chamber gas phase DBD reactor (GPDR). The effects of discharge gap, applied voltage, initial benzene concentration, gas flow rate and solution conductivity on the degradation and energy yield of benzene in the GLDR were investigated. The GLDR presents a higher discharge power, higher benzene degradation and higher energy yield than that of the GPDR. NO₂ emission was remarkably inhibited in the GLDR, possibly due to the dissolution of NO₂ in water. The benzene degradation efficiency increased with the applied voltage, but decreased with the initial concentration, gas flow rate, and gas discharge gap, while the solution conductivity presented less influence on benzene degradation. The benzene degradation efficiency and the energy yield reached 61.11% and 1.45 g kWh^–1 at 4 mm total gas discharge gap, 15 kV applied voltage, 200 ppm benzene concentration, 0.2 L min⁻¹ gas flow rate and 721 μS cm⁻¹ water conductivity. The intermediates and byproducts during benzene degradation were detected by FT-IR, GC-MS and LC-MS primarily, and phenols, CO_x, and other aromatic substitutes, O₃, NO_x, etc, were determined as the main intermediates. According to these detected byproducts, a possible benzene degradation mechanism was proposed.     

Design of a MT-DBD reactor for H_2S control

This study aimed to discuss the removal of hydrogen sulfide(H_2S)with non-thermal plasma produced by a multilayer tubular dielectric barrier discharge reactor,which is useful in the field of plasma environmental applications.We explored the influence of various factors upon H_2S removal efficiency(η_(H_2S))and energy yield(Ey),such as specific energy density(SED),initial concentration,gas flow velocity and the reactor configuration.The study showed that we can achieveη_(H_2S)of 91%and the best Ey of 3100 mg kWh~(-1)when we set the SED,gas flow velocity,initial H_2S concentration and layers of quartz tubes at 33.2 J 1~(-1),8.0 m s~(-1),30 mg m~(-3)and five layers,correspondingly.The average rate constant for the decomposition of hydrogen sulfide was 0.206 gm~(-3)s~(-1).In addition,we also presented the optimized working conditions,byproduct analysis and decomposition mechanism.     

1,2,4-trichlorobenzene decomposition using non-thermal plasma technology

Non-thermal plasma(NTP)is regarded as a potential application for environmental pollution control due to its ability to remove pollutants.As a major precursor of dioxins,the influence of the parameters of 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene(TCB)decomposition using NTP technology was investigated through a series of experiments,including voltage,frequency,water content,initial concentration,flow rate,and oxygen content.The experimental results show that the energy injected into the NTP system has a positive correlation to voltage and frequency.Oxygen has the greatest influence on TCB decomposition.The optimal reaction condition was at 15 kV,1000 Hz,an initial concentration of 20 mg m^?3,a flow rate of 2 l min^?1,H2O at 4%,and O2 at 0%.Under this condition,the TCB removal efficiency could reach 92%.According to the generated product backstepping,the hydroxyl radical(·OH)plays an important role in TCB decomposition due to its strong oxidation,which participates in the dechlorination and oxidation reactions as free radicals,and the possible decomposition pathway of TCB by NTP is inferred from the identified byproducts.It is of great significance to investigate the influence of the parameters of TCB decomposition using NTP technology in order to provide references for industrial application.     

Application of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma packed with glass and ceramic pellets for SO2 removal at ambient temperature: optimization and modeling using response surface methodology

Air pollution is a major health problem in developing countries and has adverse effects on human health and the environment. Non-thermal plasma is an effective air pollution treatment technology. In this research, the performance of a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma reactor packed with glass and ceramic pellets was evaluated in the removal of SO₂ as a major air pollutant from air in ambient temperature. The response surface methodology was used to evaluate the effect of three key parameters (concentration of gas, gas flow rate, and voltage) as well as their simultaneous effects and interactions on the SO₂ removal process. Reduced cubic models were derived to predict the SO₂ removal efficiency (RE) and energy yield (EY). Analysis of variance results showed that the packed-bed reactors (PBRs) studied were more energy efficient and had a high SO₂ RE which was at least four times more than that of the non-packed reactor. Moreover, the results showed that the performance of ceramic pellets was better than that of glass pellets in PBRs. This may be due to the porous surface of ceramic pellets which allows the formation of microdischarges in the fine cavities of a porous surface when placed in a plasma discharge zone. The maximum SO₂ RE and EY were obtained at 94% and 0.81 g kWh⁻¹, respectively under the optimal conditions of a concentration of gas of 750 ppm, a gas flow rate of 2 l min⁻¹, and a voltage of 18 kV, which were achieved by the DBD plasma packed with ceramic pellets. Finally, the results of the model's predictions and the experiments showed good agreement.     

Discharge and jet characteristics of gliding arc plasma igniter driven by pressure difference

Stable combustion in an afterburner can help increase the thrust of the engine in a short time, thereby improving the maneuverability of a fighter. To improve the ignition performance of an afterburner, a twin-duct ignition platform was designed to study the performance of a gliding arc plasma igniter in close-to-real afterburner conditions. The research was carried out by a combination of experiments and simulations. The working environment of the igniter was explored through a numerical simulation. The results showed that the airflow ejected from the radiating holes formed a swirling sheath, which increased the anti-interference ability of the airflow jet. The influence of the pressure difference between the inlet and outlet of the igniter (Δp), the flow rate outside the igniter outlet (W₂), and the installation angle (α) on the single-cycle discharge energy (E) as well as the maximum arc length (L) were studied through experiments. Three stages were identified: the airflow breakdown stage, the arc evolution stage, and the arc fracture stage. E and L increased by 107.3% and 366.2%, respectively, with Δp increasing from 10 to 70 Torr. The relationship between L and Δp obtained by data fitting is L = 3 − 2.47/(1 + (Δp/25)⁴). The relationship of L at different α is L_α=0° > (L_α=45° and L_α=135°) > L_α=180° > L_α=90°. E and L decrease by 18.2% and 37.3%, respectively, when Δp = 45 Torr and W₂ is increased from 0 to 250 l min⁻¹.     

Decomposition of a gas mixture of four n-alkanes using a DBD reactor

This study investigates the decomposition of a gas mixture of four n-alkanes (n-heptane, n-octane, n-nonane, and n-decane) using a dielectric barrier discharge reactor. We show that the conversion of n-alkanes increased from 7.2% (C₇H₁₆), 9.7% (C₈H₁₈), 8.4% (C₉H₂₀), and 10.5% (C₁₀H₂₂) to 23.8% (C₇H₁₆), 25.0% (C₈H₁₈), 27.9% (C₉H₂₀), and 32.1% (C₁₀H₂₂) when the energy density increased from 84 J l⁻¹ to 324 J l⁻¹. The conversion of n-alkanes when using the gas mixture is close to that found when using a single n-alkane. The influences of reaction temperature and O₂ concentration are also investigated, and the activation energies for the decomposition of each alkane are given.     

In situ quantification of NO synthesis in a warm air glow discharge by WMS-based Mid-IR QCL absorption spectroscopy

Nitric oxide (NO) is one of the most crucial products in the plasma-based nitrogen fixation process. In this work, in situ measurements were performed for quantifying the NO synthesis spatially in a warm air glow discharge, through the method of Mid-infrared quantum cascade laser absorption spectroscopy (QCL-AS). Two ro-vibrational transitions at 1900.076 cm⁻¹ and 1900.517 cm⁻¹ of the ground-state NO(X) were probed sensitively by the help of the wavelength modulation spectroscopy (WMS) approach to increase the signal/noise (S/N) level. The results show a decline trend of NO synthesis rate along the discharge channel from the cathode to the anode. However, from the point of energy efficiency, the cathode region is of significantly low energy efficiency of NO production. Severe disproportionality was found for the high energy consumption but low NO production in the region of cathode area, compared to that in the positive column zone. Further analysis demonstrates the high energy cost of NO production in the cathode region, is ascribed to the extremely high reduced electric field $E/N$ therein not selectively preferable for the processes of vibrational excitation or dissociation of N₂ and O₂ molecules. This drags down the overall energy efficiency of NO synthesis by this typical warm air glow discharge, particularly for the ones with short electrode gaps. Limitations of further improving the energy cost of NO synthesis by variations of the discharge operation conditions, such as discharge current or airflow rate, imply other effective manners able to tune the energy delivery selectively to the NO formation process, are sorely needed.     

The effects of gas flow pattern on the generation of ozone in surface dielectric barrier discharge

Ozone production utilizing surface dielectric barrier discharge (SDBD) was experimental studied for different flow patterns considering the influences of transversal flow, lateral flow and different lateral flow positions. Results show that the flow patterns have a remarkable impact on the ozone yield by affecting the uniformity and turbulence of gas flow. Meanwhile, distributing the O₂ flow rate according to the intensity of the plasma reaction would also increase the generation efficiency of SDBD for ozone production. By improving the uniformity and introducing the lateral flow to the transversal flow, the highest ozone yield was obtained in flow pattern ‘F’. In this case, the ozone yield increased by 28.4% to 131 gkWh ⁻¹ from 102.8 gkWh⁻¹ in flow pattern ‘A’.     

医用裂变99Mo分离纯化工艺中131I-和131IO-3的去除

为评价已建立的裂变⁹⁹Mo分离纯化工艺,即AgNO₃沉淀法、α-安息香肟沉淀法、阴离子交换色层法与活性炭色层法联用工艺流程,对放射性碘的去除效果,本研究以¹³¹I为放射性示踪剂,研究两种不同放射性碘化学形态¹³¹I^-与¹³¹IO^-₃在⁹⁹Mo分离纯化工艺中的行为及其去除效果。结果表明,对于¹³¹I^-,AgNO₃沉淀能够去除模拟溶液中98.2%¹³¹I^-,α-安息香肟沉淀法分离⁹⁹Mo工艺能够去除97.9%¹³¹I^-,AG1-×8树脂上阴离子与I-发生交换可以除去Mo样品中99.9%的¹³¹I^-,活性炭色层法通过吸附作用除去75%的¹³¹I^-,最终¹³¹I^-的累积去污系数为1.90×10⁶,¹³¹I^-的去除率大于99.99%。对于¹³¹IO^-₃,加入AgNO₃对其去除没有影响,ɑ-安息香肟沉淀法能除去99%以上的¹³¹IO^-₃,AG1-×8树脂上阴离子与¹³¹IO^-₃发生交换可以除去Mo样品中99.9%的¹³¹IO^-₃,活性炭色层法能除去约70%¹³¹IO^-₃,最终¹³¹IO^-₃的累积去污系数为2.52×10⁵,¹³¹IO^-₃的去除率大于99.99%。已建立的裂变⁹⁹Mo分离纯化工艺流程对¹³¹I^-与¹³¹IO^-₃均具有出色的去除效果。     

Formation of uranium mononitride by the reaction of uranium dioxide with carbon in ammonia and a mixture of hydrogen and nitrogen: II. Reaction rates

Kinetics of the carbothermic synthesis of UN from UO₂ in an NH₃ stream and a mixed 75% H₂ + 25% N₂ stream were studied in the temperature range of 1400–1600°C by X-ray analysis and weight change measurement of the sample. The weight change was divided into two parts; i.e. weight loss due to carbothermic reduction of UO₂ and weight loss due to removal of carbon by hydrogen. The former followed the first-order rate equation −1n(1 − ₀) = k₀t, and the latter the rate equation of phase boundary reaction 1 − (1 − _c)^1/3 = k_ct. The apparent activation energy of the former was in the range of 320–380 kJ/mol. The value of the latter in an NH₃ stream was 175–185 kJ/mol, which was smaller than that in a mixed 75% H₂ + 25% N₂stream (285 kJ/mol). In this method, the rate of the removal of carbon by hydrogen determines that of the formation of high purity UN.     

Evaluation of trans-ferulic acid degradation by dielectric barrier discharge plasma combined with ozone in wastewater with different water quality conditions

In this study, dielectric barrier discharge plasma and ozone(O_3) were combined to synergistically degrade trans-ferulic acid(FA), and the effect of water quality on FA degradation was studied. The results showed that 96.9% of FA was degraded after 40 min treatment by the plasma/O_3 process. FA degradation efficiency increased with the p H values. The presence of suspended solid and humic acid inhibited FA degradation. FA degradation efficiency increased as the water temperature increased to 30 °C. However, the further increase in water temperature was adverse for FA degradation. Effects of common inorganic ions on FA degradation were also investigated. The addition of Cl~- inhibited the FA degradation, whileCO_3~(2-) had both negative and positive influences on FA degradation.NO_3~- andSO_4~(2-) did not have significant effect on FA degradation. Fe~(3+)and Cu~(2+)benefited FA degradation through the Fenton-like and catalytic ozonation reactions.     

Investigation of electron cyclotron current drive efficiency on the J-TEXT tokamak

Electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD) efficiency research is of great importance for the neoclassical tearing mode (NTM) stabilization. Improving ECCD efficiency is beneficial for the NTM stabilization and the ECCD power threshold reduction. ECCD efficiency has been investigated on the J-TEXT tokamak. The electron cyclotron wave (ECW) power scan was performed to obtain the current drive efficiency. The current drive efficiency is derived to be approximately η₀ = (0.06–0.16) × 10¹⁹ A m⁻² W⁻¹ on the J-TEXT tokamak. The effect of the residual toroidal electric field has been included in the determination of the current drive efficiency, which will enhance the ECCD efficiency. At the plasma current of I_p = 100 kA and electron density of n_e = 1.5 × 10¹⁹ m⁻³, the ratio of Spitzer conductivity between omhic (OH) and ECCD phases is considered and the experimental data have been corrected. The correction results show that the current drive efficiency η1 caused by the fast electron hot conductivity decreases by approximately 79%. It can be estimated that the driven current is approximately 24 kA at 300 kW ECW power.     

Plasma-assisted ammonia synthesis in a packed-bed dielectric barrier discharge reactor: roles of dielectric constant and thermal conductivity of packing materials

In this article, plasma-assisted NH₃ synthesis directly from N₂ and H₂ over packing materials with different dielectric constants (BaTiO₃, TiO₂ and SiO₂) and thermal conductivities (BeO, AlN and Al₂O₃) at room temperature and atmospheric pressure is reported. The higher dielectric constant and thermal conductivity of packing material are found to be the key parameters in enhancing the NH₃ synthesis performance. The NH₃ concentration of 1344 ppm is achieved in the presence of BaTiO₃, which is 106% higher than that of SiO₂, at the specific input energy (SIE) of 5.4 kJ·l⁻¹. The presence of materials with higher dielectric constant, i.e. BaTiO3 and TiO₂ in this work, would contribute to the increase of electron energy and energy injected to plasma, which is conductive to the generation of chemically active species by electron-impact reactions. Therefore, the employment of packing materials with higher dielectric constant has proved to be beneficial for NH₃ synthesis. Compared to that of Al₂O₃, the presence of BeO and AlN yields 31.0% and 16.9% improvement in NH₃ concentration, respectively, at the SIE of 5.4 kJ·l⁻¹. The results of IR imaging show that the addition of BeO decreases the surface temperature of the packed region by 20.5% to 70.3°C and results in an extension of entropy increment compared to that of Al₂O₃, at the SIE of 5.4 kJ·l⁻¹. The results indicate that the presence of materials with higher thermal conductivity is beneficial for NH₃ synthesis, which has been confirmed by the lower surface temperature and higher entropy increment of the packed region. In addition, when SIE is higher than the optimal value, further increasing SIE would lead to the decrease of energy efficiency, which would be related to the exacerbation in reverse reaction of NH₃ formation reactions.     

DBD coupled with MnOx/γ-Al2O3 catalysts for the degradation of chlorobenzene

This paper investigates the degradation of chlorobenzene by dielectric barrier discharge(DBD)coupled with MnOx/γ-Al2O3 catalysts.MnOx/γ-Al2O3 catalysts were prepared using the impregnation method and were characterized in detail by N2 adsorption/desorption,x-ray diffraction and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.Compared with the single DBD reactor,the coupled reactor has a better performance on the removal rate of chlorobenzene,the selectivity of COx,and the inhibition of ozone production,especially at low discharge voltages.The degradation rate of chlorobenzene and selectivity of COx can reach 96.3%and 53.0%,respectively,at the specific energy density of 1350 J l-1.Moreover,the ozone concentration produced by the discharge is significantly reduced because the MnOx/Al2O3 catalysts contribute to the decomposition of ozone to form oxygen atoms for the oxidation of chlorobenzene.In addition,based on analysis of the byproducts,the decomposition mechanism of chlorobenzene in the coupled reactor is also discussed.     

Enhancing toluene removal in a plasma photocatalytic system through a black TiO_2 photocatalyst

An efficient toluene removal in air using a plasma photocatalytic system(PPS) not only needs favorable surface reactions over photocatalysts under the action of plasma,but also requires the photocatalysts to efficiently absorb light emitted from the discharge for driving the photocatalytic reactions. We report here that the PPS constructed by integrating a black titania(B-TiO_2)photocatalyst with a dielectric barrier discharge(DBD) can effectively remove toluene with above 70% CO_2 selectivity and remarkably reduced the concentration of secondary pollutants of ozone and nitrogen oxides at a specific energy input of 1500 J·l~(-1),while exhibiting good stability. Photocatalyst characterizations suggest that the B-TiO_2 provides a high concentration of oxygen vacancies for the surface oxidation of toluene in DBD,and efficiently absorbs ultraviolet–visible light emitted from the discharge to induce plasma photocatalytic oxidation of toluene. The presence of B-TiO_2 in the plasma region also results in a high discharge efficiency,facilitating the generation of large numbers of reactive species and thus the oxidation of toluene towards CO_2. The greatly enhanced performance of the PPS integrated with B-TiO_2 in toluene removal offers a promising approach to efficiently remove refractory volatile organic compounds from air at low temperatures.     

Measurement of radial temperature distributions of the blown CO_2 arcs under different conditions

In this paper, the radial temperature distributions of the blown CO_2 arcs in a model gas circuit breaker were investigated by optical emission spectroscopy methods. The CO_2 flows with different flow rates(50, 100 and 150 1 min~(-1)) were created to axially blow the arcs burning in a polymethyl methacrylate(PMMA) nozzle. Discharges with different arc currents(200 and 400A) were conducted in the experiment. The absolute intensity method was applied for a carbon ionic line of 657.8 nm to obtain the radial temperature profiles of the arc columns at a cross-section 1 mm above the nozzle. The calibration for the intensity of the CⅡ 657.8 nm line was achieved by the Fowler–Milne method with the help of an oxygen atomic line of 777.2 nm.The highest temperature obtained in the arc center was up to 19 900 K when the arc current was 400 A and the CO_2 flow rate was 50 1 min~(-1), while the lowest temperature in the arc center was about 15 900 K when the arc current was 200 A and the CO_2 flow rate was 150 1min~(-1). The results indicate that as the arc current increases, the temperature in the arc center would also increase apparently, and a larger gas flow rate would lead to a lower central temperature in general. It can also be found that the influence of the CO_2 flow rate on the arc temperature was much less than that of the arc current under the present experimental conditions. In addition,higher temperature in the arc center would cause a sharper temperature decrease from the central region towards the edge.     

Plasma-catalytic degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride over Mn/γ-Al2O3 catalysts in a dielectric barrier discharge reactor

A coaxial dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor was used for plasma-catalytic degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride over a series ofMn/γ-Al₂O₃ catalysts prepared by the incipient wetness impregnation method. The combination of plasma and theMn/γ-Al₂O₃ catalysts significantly enhanced the degradation efficiency of tetracycline hydrochloride compared to the plasma process alone, with the 10%Mn/γ-Al₂O₃ catalyst exhibiting the best tetracycline hydrochloride degradation efficiency. A maximum degradation efficiency of 99.3% can be achieved after 5 min oxidation and a discharge power of 1.3 W, with only 69.7% by a single plasma process. The highest energy yield of the plasma-catalytic process is 91.7 gkWh⁻¹. Probable reaction mechanisms of the plasma-catalytic removal of tetracycline hydrochloride were also proposed.     

Radiation shielding design of the CFETR polarimeter interferometer and CO2 dispersion interferometer

A three-wave based laser polarimeter/interferometer and a CO₂ laser dispersion interferometer are used to determine the electron and current density profiles on a Chinese fusion engineering test reactor (CFETR). Radiation shielding is designed for the combination of polarimeter/interferometer and CO₂ dispersion interferometer. Furthermore, neutronics models of the two systems are developed based on the engineering-integrated design of CFETR polarimeter/interferometer and CO₂ dispersion interferometer and the major material components of CFETR. The polarimeter/interferometer and CO₂ dispersion interferometer's neutron and photon transport simulations were performed using the Monte Carlo neutral transport code to determine the energy deposition and neutron energy spectrum of the optical mirrors. The energy depositions of the first mirrors on the polarimeter/interferometer are reduced by three orders with the whole shielding. Since the mirrors of CO₂ dispersion interferometer are very close to the diagnostic first wall, shielding space is limited and the CO₂ dispersion interferometer energy deposition is higher than that of the polarimeter/interferometer. The dose rate after shutdown 10⁶ s in the back-drawer structure has been estimated to be 83 μSv h⁻¹ when the radiation shield is filled in the diagnostic shielding modules, which is below the design threshold of 100 μSv h⁻¹. Radiation shielding design plays a key role in successfully applying polarimeter/interferometer and CO₂ dispersive interferometer in CFETR.     

稳定层结条件下建筑物体对流场影响的数值模拟研究北大核心CSCD

采用RNG k-ε湍流模型模拟不同理查森数(Ri_(b))下立方体建筑物对流场结构的影响,并与相应的风洞实验结果进行了比较。CFD对归一化风速的数值模拟结果与风洞实验结果较好吻合;随着Ri_(b)的增大气流运动逐渐受浮力驱动,建筑物背风面的空腔区逐渐减小,特别是Ri_(b)≥0.82时,浮力对流场的恢复起主导作用。Ri_(b)=0.21附近,流场结构从湍流对流场结构起主导作用转化成与层流类似,建筑物顶部的高归一化湍流动能(k/u_(H)^(2))区域随着回流区的消失而消失。随着下风向距离的增加,不同Ri_(b)对流场结构与k/u_(H)^(2)的影响逐渐显现。     

Plasma-facilitated modification of pumpkin vine-based biochar and its application for efficient elimination of uranyl from aqueous solution

An acrylic modified pumpkin vine-based biochar (p-PVB-PAA) is synthesized by non-thermal plasma-grafting modification of pumpkin vine-based biochar (PVB) for the removal of uranyl from an aqueous solution. Microscopic characterization reveals that compared to PVB the surface of p-PVBPAA has more oxygen-containing functional groups by strong chemical bonding and the specific surface area is increased to 275.3 m² g⁻¹ from 3.8 m² g⁻¹. It is found that p-PVB-PAA showed a much higher maximum adsorption capacity for uranyl from aqueous solutions than PVB, which were 207.02 mg g⁻¹ and 67.58 mg g⁻¹ at pH=5 and 298 K, respectively. Moreover, the adsorption behavior follows a pseudo-second-order kinetics model and the Langmuir adsorption model. Additionally, macroscopic experiments and spectroscopic studies verified that the significantly improved adsorption performance of the p-PVB-PAA is due to surface complexation and electrostatic interactions. Furthermore, the very high removal efficiency and excellent regeneration ability (the percentage of the removal still remained at nearly 90% after five cycles) makes this low-cost, easily obtained, and environmentally friendly material attractive for commercial application.