TY - JOUR
T1 - Optimization of nonthermal plasma (NTP) catalytic CO2 methanation
T2 - effect of the excitation waveform, pellet size and residence time
AU - Chen, Shaowei
AU - Chen, Yi
AU - Huang, Jianguo
AU - Xu, Shanshan
AU - Fan, Xiaolei
AU - Niu, Jiangqi
AU - Chen, Huanhao
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 The Royal Society of Chemistry.
PY - 2025
Y1 - 2025
N2 - Nonthermal plasma (NTP) catalysis is a promising electrified catalytic technology for many sustainable applications, such as energy storage and decarbonization reactions, powered by renewable energy (via green electricity). Dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasmas, commonly driven by a sinusoidal waveform, are widely employed in NTP catalysis research. However, the energy efficiency of such DBD is relatively low owing to various reasons, such as excessive capacitive currents and poor selectivity. This study investigates the impact of plasma excitation waveforms, catalyst pellet sizes and residence time on the performance of NTP catalytic CO2 methanation over a Ni/MgAlOx catalyst. In particular, the critical role of the discharge waveform in optimizing the DBD NTP catalytic system was systematically explored. Findings demonstrate the advantages of the multi-pulse waveform in minimizing capacitive losses, delivering higher energy per discharge event and sustaining energy interactions over extended durations, which mitigate the effect incurred by changing the pellet size and residence time (across the conditions investigated here). As a result, our DBD system (by multi-pulse wave excitation, with 710-900 μm catalyst pellets and a ∼25 mm bed length) achieved a very high CH4 yield (∼72.3%) at significantly lower volumetric power densities (∼7 W cm−3).
AB - Nonthermal plasma (NTP) catalysis is a promising electrified catalytic technology for many sustainable applications, such as energy storage and decarbonization reactions, powered by renewable energy (via green electricity). Dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasmas, commonly driven by a sinusoidal waveform, are widely employed in NTP catalysis research. However, the energy efficiency of such DBD is relatively low owing to various reasons, such as excessive capacitive currents and poor selectivity. This study investigates the impact of plasma excitation waveforms, catalyst pellet sizes and residence time on the performance of NTP catalytic CO2 methanation over a Ni/MgAlOx catalyst. In particular, the critical role of the discharge waveform in optimizing the DBD NTP catalytic system was systematically explored. Findings demonstrate the advantages of the multi-pulse waveform in minimizing capacitive losses, delivering higher energy per discharge event and sustaining energy interactions over extended durations, which mitigate the effect incurred by changing the pellet size and residence time (across the conditions investigated here). As a result, our DBD system (by multi-pulse wave excitation, with 710-900 μm catalyst pellets and a ∼25 mm bed length) achieved a very high CH4 yield (∼72.3%) at significantly lower volumetric power densities (∼7 W cm−3).
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85218712523&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1039/d4re00628c
DO - 10.1039/d4re00628c
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85218712523
SN - 2058-9883
JO - Reaction Chemistry and Engineering
JF - Reaction Chemistry and Engineering
ER -