Greifswald 2024 – scientific programme

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P: Fachverband Plasmaphysik

P 16: Atmospheric Pressure Plasmas and their Applications III

P 16.1: Invited Talk

Wednesday, February 28, 2024, 14:00–14:30, WW 1: HS

CO₂ dissociation by microwave plasmas: experimental studies on interfaces in view of industrial applications — •Rodrigo Antunes¹, Christian K. Kiefer¹, Ante Hecimovic¹, Katharina Wiegers³, Arne Meindl¹, Andreas Schulz³, and Ursel Fantz^1,2 — ¹Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, 85748 Garching b. München, Germany — ²University of Augsburg, 86159 Augsburg, Germany — ³University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart 70569, Germany

Microwave plasma (MW) torches are known to be an efficient technology for the conversion of CO₂ to CO up to atmospheric pressure. However, in order to evaluate its industrial applicability, the interfaces of the process in which the plasma torch will be integrated should be considered. For example, the CO₂ upstream might contain impurities such as that from carbon capture facilities, while the plasma-produced downstream mixture must have very low amounts of O₂ if to be used as feed gas in a Fischer-Tropsch reactor for fuel synthesis.

This talk provides an overview of the state-of-the-art for the dissociation of CO₂ by means of MW plasma torches. The influence of various relevant parameters on the conversion and energy efficiency is discussed. From the insights gained by the wall-plug efficiency, optimisation routes can be outlined. Using multiple membranes accommodated in the plasma effluent, the removal of O₂ from the outlet stream is demonstrated. Long-term performance stability and compatibility with intermittent power sources showcases that the plasma technology is a relevant addition to the portfolio of gas conversion techniques.

Keywords: Microwave plasma; CO$_2$ dissociation; interfaces; membranes; wall-plug efficiency