Efficiency of CO 2 dissociation in a radio-frequency discharge

One possible solution to mitigating the effects of high atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO 2) is the use of a plasma source to break apart the molecule into carbon monoxide (CO) and oxygen. This work experimentally investigates the efficiency of dissociation of CO 2 in a 1-kW radio-frequency (rf) plasma source operating at 13.56-MHz in a low-pressure discharge. Mass spectrometry diagnostics are used to determine the species present in the discharge, and these measurements are used to calculate the energy efficiency and conversion efficiency of CO 2 dissociation in the rf plasma source. Experimental results have found that the conversion efficiency of CO 2 to CO can reach values near 90%, however energy efficiency reaches a maximum of 3%. A theoretical energy cost analysis is also given as a method to evaluate the effectiveness of any plasma system designed for CO 2 emissions reduction. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Duke Scholars

Author Alec Gallimore Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materia ...