Microwave plasma for efficient CO2 conversion: expanding the chemistry to improve the performance.
Abstract
Plasma-based CO2 conversion into value-added chemicals is very promising, as plasma can be powered by excess renewable energy. Nevertheless, its full potential has yet to be discovered. I will study a microwave plasma for this purpose, and focus on expanding the chemistry in three innovative ways. I will combine CO2 splitting with the addition of CH4 (another greenhouse gas) and/or H2O, to produce high-quality syngas (CO + H2) in one step. Moreover, I will introduce solid carbon after the plasma, to steer the selectivity towards the targeted products (pure CO, or pure syngas). Furthermore, I will optimize the performance with innovative reactor engineering, focusing on the gas flow dynamics and enabling new chemical pathways for the same reactant mixture. I will support my experiments with a thorough computational study of the chemical kinetics and fluid dynamics, both within the plasma reactor and the carbon bed. This will allow me to identify the key factors for reaction improvement without testing a wide range of conditions in the experiments, thus, avoiding a trial-and-error approach. The ultimate aim of my postdoctoral research is to achieve a deeper fundamental understanding of the mechanisms, as well as a full characterization of the plasma performance, which will help establish plasma technology at a commercial level and boost the transition towards a more sustainable energy economy.Researcher(s)
- Promoter: Bogaerts Annemie
- Fellow: Biondo Omar
Research team(s)
Project website
Project type(s)
- Research Project
Better understanding of microwave plasma for CO2 conversion by modeling and experiments
Abstract
The aim of this project is to improve the energy efficiency of CO2 conversion and dry reforming of methane (DRM) in a microwave (MW) plasma by a combination of modeling and experiments to better understand the underlying mechanisms. The modeling is based on chemical kinetics modelling, which describes the detailed plasma chemistry, with special focus on the vibrational kinetics of CO2, as well as the interaction of the product mix (CO/O/O2 and unreacted CO2) with a carbon bed placed after the plasma reactor, to further enhance the CO2 conversion. The experiments are carried out at DIFFER (joint PhD under the co-supervision of Prof. Gerard van Rooij), and make use of laser scattering and optical emission spectrometry, to measure the actual plasma volume in the reactor, and the typical plasma characteristics. Specifically, it is investigated how CH4 addition to a CO2 plasma affects the plasma contraction and the underlying mechanisms. Also forward vs reverse vortex gas flow designs are compared, because the latter can give rise to less coking, hence better performance.Researcher(s)
- Promoter: Bogaerts Annemie
- Fellow: Biondo Omar
Research team(s)
Project website
Project type(s)
- Research Project