Application of pulsed power and power modulation to the non-thermal plasma treatment of hazardous gaseous wastes
Acid rain, global warming, ozone depletion, and smog are preeminent environmental problems facing the world today. Non-thermal plasma techniques offer an innovative approach to the cost-effective solution of these problems. Many potential applications of non-thermal plasmas to air pollution control have already been demonstrated. The use of pulsed power and power modulation is essential to the successful implementation of non-thermal plasma techniques. This paper provides an overview of the most recent developments in non-thermal plasma systems that have been applied to gaseous waste treatment. In the non-thermal plasma approach, the nonequilibrium properties of the plasma are fully exploited. These plasmas are characterized by high electron temperatures, while the gas remains at near ambient temperature and pressure. The energy is directed preferentially to the undesirable components, which are often present in very small concentrations. These techniques utilize the dissociation and ionization of the background gas to produce radicals which, in turn, decompose the toxic compounds. The key to success in the non-thermal plasma approach is to produce a discharge in which the majority of the electrical energy goes into the production of energetic electrons, rather than into gas heating. For example, in a typical application to flue gas cleanup, these electrons produce radicals, such as O and OH, through the dissociation or ionization of molecules such as H{sub 2}O or O{sub 2}. The radicals diffuse through the gas and preferentially oxidize the nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides to form acids that can then be easily neutralized to form non-toxic, easily-collectible (and commercially salable) compounds. Non-thermal plasmas can be created in essentially two different ways: by electron-beam irradiation, and by electrical discharges.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 10118620
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-JC-112501; CONF-9208158-2; ON: DE93005825
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 5. Strategic Defense Initiative Office/Office of Naval Research pulse power meeting,College Park, MD (United States),17-19 Aug 1992; Other Information: PBD: Oct 1992
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
GASEOUS WASTES
AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
NITROGEN OXIDES
DISSOCIATION
SULFUR DIOXIDE
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
WASTE PROCESSING
PLASMA
CHLOROFLUOROCARBONS
VOLATILE MATTER
CARBON DIOXIDE
ELECTRON BEAMS
ELECTRON-MOLECULE COLLISIONS
CORONA DISCHARGES
PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
MICROWAVE RADIATION
ALTERNATING CURRENT
540120
664300
CHEMICALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT
COLLISION PHENOMENA