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3, MAY/JUNE 2013
Abstract—This paper deals with the effects of discharge power [13], and nonthermal plasma technologies have been demon-
and voltage and current waveforms on the formation of hydrogen strated to effectively produce H2 from a variety of organic
peroxide (H2 O2 ) from liquid water sprayed as a fine aerosol compounds [14], [15]. The generation of H2 O2 from water is
into a plasma formed by a gliding arc discharge. The formation
rates of H2 O2 were determined for different values of the power of interest for chemical and biological applications [9], [16].
injected into the reactor (1–7 W), as well as for different means of Simultaneous production of both of these species may also be
applying the power [pulsed, alternating current (ac), and direct of interest in promoting chemical reactions with heterogeneous
current (dc)], with argon carrier. For the same power injected catalysts [17].
into the plasma, the pulsed power was more efficient than the ac Nonthermal plasma generates highly energetic species (e.g.,
power which was, in turn, more effective than the dc power for the
generation of H2 O2 . Energy yield increased with water flow up to electrons, ions, radicals, excited species, and molecules) in the
10 mL/min and thereafter was constant with a maximum of about gas phase at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure.
6 g/kWh. Direct and indirect interactions of the plasma-generated species
Index Terms—Atmospheric-pressure plasmas, chemical reac- with water molecules lead to the formation of OH (and other)
tors, hydrogen peroxide, liquid water, plasma devices, power radicals and ultimately to molecular products such as H2 O2 ,
supplies. H2 , O2 , and nitrates (nitrates in the case when air or nitrogen is
used as the carrier gas) [1]–[5], [7], [9].
The efficiency of chemical production in gliding arc re-
I. I NTRODUCTION
actors with water spray has been shown to be dependent
Fig. 1. Pulsed gliding arc reactor configuration. (P) Pump, (Rsh) shunt resistor
(100 Ω), (OSC) oscilloscope, (HEI) high-efficiency ignition coil, (IGBT)
switch transistor, and (HVP) high-voltage probe (1/1000). Fig. 2. Voltage and current waveforms for the pulsed discharge.
Fig. 7. Hydrogen peroxide production energy yield with water flow rates for
the pulsed, ac, and dc discharges for 2.6–2.8 W. Fig. 8. Hydrogen peroxide production energy yield with power for pulsed, ac,
and dc discharges (Qw = 4 mL/min).
OH + OH → H2 O2 . (2)
H2 O2 + OH → HO2 + H2 O. (3)
IV. C ONCLUSION
The production of H2 O2 in gliding arc reactors with water
spray significantly depends on the water flow rate injected
into the plasma, the power of the discharge, and the mode
of discharge (pulsed, ac, or dc). The energy yields for H2 O2
production are dependent on power. The energy yield of H2 O2
Fig. 10. Effects of gas flow rate on discharge power for the pulsed and ac is two times higher for the pulsed voltage power supply than for
discharges.
the ac case at a power between 1 and 3 W.
of the pulsed power supply. For higher gas flow rates, more
electrical charges are carried out with the gas (the equivalent R EFERENCES
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condensed liquid which assist in the suppression of quenching R. Metkemeijer, and L. Fulcheri, “A comparative study of non-thermal
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“Bacteria inactivation using low power pulsed gliding arc discharges
between water and plasma electrons occur in the gas phase to with water spray,” Plasma Process. Polym., vol. 7, no. 8, pp. 640–649,
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BURLICA et al.: EFFECTS OF THE VOLTAGE AND CURRENT WAVEFORMS AND DISCHARGE POWER 1103
[17] S. Mededovic and B. R. Locke, “The role of platinum as the high voltage Wright C. Finney received the B.S. degree in
electrode in the enhancement of Fenton’s reaction in liquid phase elec- physics and the M.S. degree in biology from Florida
trical discharge,” Appl. Catal. B, Environ., vol. 72, no. 3/4, pp. 342–350, State University (FSU), Tallahassee, FL, USA, in
Mar. 2007. 1975 and 1978, respectively.
[18] R. Burlica, M. Kirkpatrick, and B. R. Locke, “The formation of reactive He is currently a Research Associate with the
species in gliding arc discharges with liquid water,” J. Electrostat., vol. 64, Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineer-
no. 1, pp. 35–43, Jan. 2006. ing, College of Engineering (COE), Florida Agri-
[19] D. Porter, M. D. Poplin, F. Holzer, W. C. Finney, and B. R. Locke, cultural and Mechanical University (FAMU)–FSU,
“Formation of hydrogen peroxide, hydrogen, and oxygen in gliding arc Tallahassee, FL, USA, where, prior to joining COE,
electrical discharge reactors with water spray,” IEEE Trans. Ind. Appl., FAMU–FSU, he was with the Aerosol Physics Re-
vol. 45, no. 2, pp. 623–629, Mar./Apr. 2009. search Group, Department of Physics, from 1978 to
[20] B. R. Locke and S. Mededovic Thagard, “Analysis of chemical reactions 1992. There, he codeveloped several aerosol and gas treatment techniques, such
in gliding-arc reactors with water spray into flowing oxygen,” IEEE Trans as an electron beam particle precharger for enhanced electrostatic precipita-
Plasma Sci., vol. 37, no. 4, pp. 494–501, Apr. 2009. tion and a pulsed-streamer-corona reactor for high-efficiency SO2 and NOx
[21] G. M. Eisenberg, “Colorimetric determination of hydrogen peroxide,” removal. In addition to his research, he is involved in the development of new
Ind. Eng. Chem. Anal. Ed., vol. 15, no. 5, pp. 327–328, May 1943. undergraduate and graduate academic initiatives in the department. His general
[22] S. Du and J. S. Francisco, “Interaction between OH radical and the water research interests include environmental engineering, electrostatic processes,
interface,” J. Phys. Chem. A, vol. 112, no. 21, pp. 4826–4835, May 2008. aerosol science, and biomedical engineering. One of his continuing current
interests lies in the area of using a nonthermal plasma technology known
as pulsed streamer corona for the treatment and breakdown of airborne and
groundwater-containing organic contaminants.