On the Effects of Non-Thermal Plasma Discharge in Solid Fuel Pyrolysis
Open Access
- Author:
- Ekinci, Berkay
- Graduate Program:
- Electrical Engineering
- Degree:
- Master of Science
- Document Type:
- Master Thesis
- Date of Defense:
- November 20, 2020
- Committee Members:
- Sven G Bilen, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Sean David Knecht, Committee Member
Julio Urbina, Committee Member
Kultegin Aydin, Program Head/Chair - Keywords:
- plasma assisted combustion
plasma
combustion
pyrolysis
wire-mesh
high voltage
high current
coal - Abstract:
- A wire-mesh reactor with constant-current heating and non-thermal plasma assistance is described. The apparatus is capable of combining resistance heating and dielectric barrier discharge on solid or powder test samples. DC current that is variable between 0 and 180 amps is used for heating, and a thermal camera is used to capture heating rates and local heat distributions. AC voltage up to 30 kV is injected at frequencies between 0--10 kHz to generate a dielectric barrier discharge. The reactor provides an experimental setup enabling combustion as well as pyrolysis without the need for removing the oxygen from the environment.\par Experiments are carried out in the reactor on coal dust particles to demonstrate substantial profit on cold-start by the effects of dielectric barrier discharge. Ignition time for coal samples decreased with plasma present as opposed to no plasma. Thermal camera measurements indicate an increased rate of change of temperature, translating to a significant decrease in input power. To study the effect of the plasma on coal samples during combustion, results were obtained with a constant-current supply applied to samples under resistance heating. Additional experiments were performed with varying input current to understand the mechanisms of plasma assisted combustion. The physical interaction between non-thermal plasma and fine solids or dust particles in cold-start has yet to be described experimentally. As the energy industry reforms from fossil fuels to biofuels, plasma assisted combustion on solid or dust samples can be used as an alternative to traditional energy transformation. Several combustion systems incorporate plasma treatment before and during combustion with noble gases such as argon and helium. A system applying the same principles on molecules in their solid-state of matter is a promising alternative in the reforming energy industry.