Plasma conversion of methane into higher hydrocarbons at surfaces
- Univ. of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK (United States)
Natural gas is widely abundant, is easily withdrawn from reservoirs, is commonly produced as an associated gas along with crude oil production, and is found in many geologic settings as a resource separate from oil. A much larger fraction of the natural gas may be produced from a gas reservoir, as compared with a crude oil reservoir. However, natural gas is normally transported by pipeline, and the energy throughput of such a pipeline is perhaps only 20% to 30% of the throughput of an oil pipeline of the same size and cost. Gas is difficult to transport in moderate quantities at low cost, as it must either have a special pipeline or must be liquified into LNG, shipped in cryogenic LNG tankers, and regasified chemical stability of methane has made it difficult to convert it directly into conventional hydrocarbon fuel mixtures, and has also impeded its use as a feedstock for petrochemical production. Experiments are described in which a methane plasma is created, and the resulting methyl and hydrogen ions have been accelerated within a microchannel array so that they interact with neutral methane molecules on the inside surfaces of the microchannels. No catalysts are used, and the device operates at room temperature. Impact energies of the ions are in the range of 15 ev to greater than 100 ev, and the energy delivered in the interaction at the surfaces has caused the production of larger hydrocarbon molecules, such as C{sub 2}H{sub 2}, C{sub 2}H{sub 4}, and C{sub 2}H{sub 6}, along with C{sub 3}, C{sub 4}, C{sub 5}, C{sub 6}, C{sub 7}, and C{sub 8} molecules. Conversion effectiveness is greater at higher pressure, due to the increased ionic activity. The costs of production of the plasma conversion devices are projected to be quite low, and the technology appears to be commercially and economically feasible.
- Research Organization:
- USDOE Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center (PETC), PA (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 198277
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9508133-; ON: DE96001664; TRN: 95:008316-0034
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Coal liquefaction and gas conversion contractor review meeting, Pittsburgh, PA (United States), 29-31 Aug 1995; Other Information: PBD: [1995]; Related Information: Is Part Of Coal liquefaction and gas conversion contractors review conference: Proceedings; PB: 733 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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