Power consumption and byproducts in electron beam and electrical discharge processing of volatile organic compounds
- and others
Among the new methods being investigated for the post-process reduction of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in atmospheric-pressure air streams are based on non-thermal plasmas. Electron beam, pulsed corona and dielectric-barrier discharge methods are among the more extensively investigated techniques for producing non-thermal plasmas. In order to apply non-thermal plasmas in an industrial scale, it is important to establish the electrical power requirements and byproducts of the process. In this paper the authors present experimental results using a compact electron beam reactor, a pulsed corona and a dielectric-barrier discharge reactor. They have used these reactors to study the removal of a wide variety of VOCs. The effects of background gas composition and gas temperature on the decomposition chemistry have been studied. They present a description of the reactions that control the efficiency of the plasma process. They have found that pulsed corona and other types of electrical discharge reactors are most suitable only for processes requiring O radicals. For VOCs requiring copious amounts of electrons, ions, N atoms or OH radicals, the use of electron beam reactors is generally the best way of minimizing the electrical power consumption. Electron beam processing is remarkably more effective for all of the VOCs tested. For control of VOC emissions from dilute, large volume sources such as paint spray booths, cost analysis shows that the electron beam method is cost-competitive to thermal and catalytic methods that employ heat recovery or hybrid techniques.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 231371
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-JC-123409; CONF-960252-4; ON: DE96010711; TRN: AHC29611%%30
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 2. international symposium on environmental applications of advanced oxidation technologies, San Francisco, CA (United States), 28 Feb - 1 Mar 1996; Other Information: PBD: 20 Feb 1996
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
POLLUTION CONTROL EQUIPMENT
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
CARBON TETRACHLORIDE
DECOMPOSITION
METHANOL
CHLORINATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
XYLENES
TOLUENE
ETHYLENE
ELECTRON BEAM FURNACES
CORONA DISCHARGES
VOLATILE MATTER
INDUSTRIAL WASTES
TEST FACILITIES
COST ESTIMATION
RADICALS
CAPITALIZED COST
OPERATING COST
EXPERIMENTAL DATA