Model-based reactor design improvement in a gliding arc plasmatron for CO2 conversion with and without catalyst.

Global warming is a complex problem and the pressure for change is high. One pressing aspect is the greenhouse gas CO2. By converting the CO2 into value added chemicals and fuels, a sustainable cycle can be established. Plasma technology has the potential to fulfill this role, especially with the gliding arc plasmatron (GAP) reactor. However, its current performance is not sufficient. My project will focus on the conversion of CO2 and CO2/CH4 mixtures into value added chemicals in this reactor. Indeed, despite the promising results of the GAP, the current GAP design also faces limitations. Therefore, to optimize the conversion and energy efficiency, innovative designs are crucial. Moreover, the implementation of a catalyst for increased conversion and selectivity has not been tested. In order to achieve an optimal design and catalyst implementation, a thorough knowledge of the underlying mechanisms is needed, which I will gain by modeling and experiments. I plan to develop new designs by combining 0D chemical kinetics modeling and 3D fluid dynamics modeling, both with and without a catalytic bed. I will then validate these models experimentally. For dedicated plasma diagnostics, I will perform two research stays of two months each, i.e. at the Eindhoven University of Technology and Bochum University. In the end, this combined study will result in a fundamental understanding of this plasma reactor for an optimized performance.

Keywords:RECYCLING, SUSTAINABILITY, PLASMA, CO2

Disciplines:Chemistry of plasmas, Physical chemistry not elsewhere classified, Sustainable chemistry not elsewhere classified, Theoretical and computational chemistry not elsewhere classified, Reaction kinetics and dynamics