Modeling of silent discharge plasma for the destruction of hazardous organic compounds

Conference · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:7166456

Greene, A E; Bechtold, L A; Coogan, J J; Rosocha, L A

As we learn more about the consequences of releasing hazardous materials into the environment, there is increasing pressure to find better techniques to destroy hydrocarbons, halocarbons, and sulfurous and nitrous oxides. In some cases existing technology is sufficient to destroy these materials but in many cases it is not. As an example, incineration is often used to destroy both hydrocarbon and halocarbon waste. However, often this process is incomplete, releasing some of the hazardous material or creating others; it is generally energy inefficient, and it generates large quantities of materials such as carbon dioxide, which are also of increasing concern. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is currently exploring several alternatives to waste destruction including plasma processes. One of the most mature and potentially energy efficient is the dielectric barrier or silent discharge plasma (SDP). SDP has been used for more than 100 years in the production of very large quantities of ozone. The process is dependent on the formation of large quantities of oxygen free-radicals by hot'' electrons without a significant increase in gas temperature. SDP is such a reliable and economical process that the easy production of ozone, generated as needed in kilogram quantities, has made ozonation the method of choice for sanitary water treatment in Europe and in parts of the US, where tons per day are generated for municipal plants.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 7166456
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-92-2685; CONF-9209189--1; ON: DE92040246
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320305* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Industrial & Agricultural Processes-- Industrial Waste Management
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
EQUATIONS
EVALUATION
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
HYDROCARBONS
MATERIALS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDATION
PLASMA
PREDICTION EQUATIONS