KR101620009B1 - Plasma reactor having multiple attribute - Google Patents

Abstract

It is an object of the present invention to provide a plasma reactor capable of appropriately controlling the temperature of a reactant and having multiple properties simultaneously realizing high electron density and electron energy. The plasma reactor having multiple characteristics according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first plasma reactor for generating a first reactant by raising a temperature of a reactant by generating a first plasma with a first voltage, And a second plasma reactor for generating a second reactant by controlling the electron density and the electron energy of the first reactant to generate a second plasma with a second voltage.

Description

PLASMA REACTOR HAVING MULTIPLE ATTRIBUTE [0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a plasma reactor, and more particularly, to a plasma reactor having exhaust gas aftertreatment, fuel reforming, and multiple characteristics applicable to various fields.

The plasma generation technique can form a plasma having various characteristics depending on the reactor structure and the generator. For example, structures such as arc, arc jet, rotating flow arc, and dielectric barrier discharge are widely known in a plasma reactor.

Plasma technology is used in the field of the environment, which converts hazardous exhaust gases generated in various fields into a safe state by post-treatment, a fuel reforming field that converts fuels such as methane into plasma by treating the fuel with better quality, And surface treatment that improves the surface characteristics to suit the purpose.

For example, the plasma reactor has a pair of electrode structures composed of an anode and a cathode, and various plasma characteristics can be realized depending on whether a dielectric is provided between the flow field of the reactive gas and the electrode.

According to the plasma characteristics, the plasma can be divided into a high-temperature plasma and a low-temperature plasma, and the distinction of the two characteristics depends on the relative magnitude of the temperature at which the plasma is generated.

In addition, high temperature and low temperature plasma can be further divided into more detailed differences such as the number of electrons and ions generated with temperature and the energy of generated electrons. Depending on the application, plasma and plasma reactors may be suitably applied. However, one plasma reactor is difficult to simultaneously realize appropriate reactant temperature, high electron density and electron energy depending on the application field.

For example, a plasma reactor capable of increasing the temperature of the reactants exhibits relatively low electron density and electron energy. The plasma reactor, which can increase electron density and electron energy, has relatively low reactant temperature.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a plasma reactor capable of controlling the temperature of a reactant appropriately, and having multiple properties simultaneously realizing high electron density and electron energy.

The plasma reactor having multiple characteristics according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first plasma reactor for generating a first reactant by raising a temperature of a reactant by generating a first plasma with a first voltage, And a second plasma reactor for generating a second reactant by controlling the electron density and the electron energy of the first reactant to generate a second plasma with a second voltage.

The first plasma reactor may convert a reactant into a first reactant by discharging the first plasma at a high temperature of 800K to 5000K, which is the temperature of the neutral species of the first plasma contained in the first reactant.

The first plasma reactor may generate a first plasma by rotating arc discharge.

The second plasma reactor may convert the first reactant into the second reactant using a second plasma at a low temperature of 300 K to 1000 K, which is the temperature of the neutral species of the second plasma contained in the second reactant.

The second plasma reactor may generate the second plasma through the dielectric barrier discharge.

The first plasma reactor may include a first housing that is electrically grounded and discharges a first reactant that is changed in the rotating flow reactant, and a second plasma generator that is embedded in the first housing and forms a discharge gap between the first housing and the inner surface of the first housing, And an eleventh electrode for generating a first plasma in the discharge gap when the first voltage is applied.

The first housing may have an accommodating portion extended to the discharge side of the first reactant, and one end of the second plasma reacting portion may be inserted into the accommodating portion and connected.

The second plasma reactor may further include a second housing inserted into the housing and formed of a dielectric material to discharge a second reactant that is changed in the first reactant flowing into the first housing, The second electrode may generate a second plasma in the dielectric barrier discharge in the second housing.

The second plasma reactor may further include a twenty-second electrode which is spaced apart from the twenty-first electrode by a predetermined distance and is provided on the outer periphery of the second housing and is grounded.

The second plasma reactor includes a second housing for discharging a second reactant that has changed in the first reactant, a twenty-first electrode and a twenty-second electrode embedded in the second housing and forming a discharge gap therebetween, And a dielectric provided on one side of the twenty-second electrode that is grounded with the twenty-first electrode to generate a wall charge when a second voltage is applied to generate a second plasma from the discharge gap by a dielectric barrier discharge .

The first plasma reactor may convert the reactant into a first reactant using a plasma arc jet.

The first plasma reactor may include a first housing formed of an insulating material to discharge the first reactant changed in the reactant, an eleventh electrode embedded in the first housing and to which a first voltage is applied, and a second electrode disposed on the discharge side of the first housing. And a twelfth electrode that is grounded to form a discharge gap with the eleventh electrode and form a nozzle.

The first plasma reactor may convert the reactant into a first reactant in a microwave.

The first plasma reactor includes a nozzle for discharging the first reactant that has changed in the reactant, a wave guide for receiving the nozzle, forming a short circuit at one side of the nozzle and applying a microwave at the other side, And a first housing connected to the substrate and discharging the first reactant heated by the first plasma generated by the microwave.

As described above, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a plasma having various characteristics can be obtained by connecting a first plasma reaction unit and a second plasma reaction unit, converting a reactant into a first reactant, and further converting the first reactant into a second reactant. Can be generated.

Accordingly, the plasma reactor having the multiple characteristics of one embodiment can realize higher efficiency than the existing technology in the exhaust gas aftertreatment field, the fuel reforming field, and the surface treatment field, and further expand the application field.

1 is an exploded perspective view of a plasma reactor having multiple characteristics according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line II-II in Fig.
3 is a cross-sectional view of a plasma reactor having multiple characteristics according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a perspective view of a second plasma reactor in a plasma reactor having multiple characteristics according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line V-V in Fig.
6 is a cross-sectional view of a plasma reactor having multiple characteristics according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a cross-sectional view of a plasma reactor having multiple characteristics according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the present invention. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. In order to clearly illustrate the present invention, parts not related to the description are omitted, and the same or similar components are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the specification.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a plasma reactor having multiple characteristics according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line II-II in FIG. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a plasma reactor (hereinafter referred to as a "plasma reactor") 100 having multiple characteristics according to the first embodiment includes a first plasma reactor 1 and a second plasma reactor 2 .

The first plasma reactor 1 is configured to generate a first reactant by raising a temperature of a reactant by generating a first plasma P1 with a first voltage V. The second plasma reactor (2) is connected to the first plasma reactor (1) to supply and convert the first reactant to generate a second reactant.

The second plasma reactor 2 generates the second plasma P2 with the second voltage HV. Since the second plasma reactor 2 generates the second plasma P2, the second reactant is generated by controlling the electron density and the electron energy of the reactant supplied to the second reaction space as a result of the first reactant.
For example, the first plasma P1 has a high electron density and a low electron energy at a high temperature plasma. When the first reactant formed through the first plasma P1 is directly supplied to the second plasma region P2 and accelerated to the second voltage HV, a high electron density is maintained, Energy. Accordingly, the second reactant having a high electron density and a high electron energy can be formed while the first plasma P1 and the second plasma P2 are continuously passed. The electron density and the magnitude of the electron energy can be controlled by controlling the first voltage (V) and the second voltage (HV) of the first plasma (P1) and the second plasma (P2)

For example, the reactant introduced into the first plasma reactor 1 may be an exhaust gas, a fuel such as methane, air, or a mixed gas of air and fuel, and the first plasma reactor 1 may correspond thereto can be changed. That is, the plasma reactor 100 can be applied in various fields such as post-treatment of exhaust gas, modification of fuel and surface treatment.

In the first embodiment, the first plasma reactor 1 is configured to convert a reactant into a first reactant in a plasma arc discharge, and is driven at a low voltage (first voltage V). The second plasma reactor 2 is configured to convert a first reactant to a second reactant by a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD), and is driven by a high voltage (a second voltage (HV) higher than the first voltage) .

The first plasma reactor (1) is configured to convert the reactants into a first reactant by discharging to form a high temperature condition of 800K to 5000K. That is, the first plasma reactor 1 can generate the first plasma by rotating arc discharge.

On the other hand, the second plasma reactor 2 is configured to convert the first reactant into the second reactant using the second plasma at the low-temperature condition of 300K to 1000K. That is, the second plasma reactor 2 can generate the second plasma by the dielectric barrier discharge.
By controlling the first voltage V and the second voltage HV, the electron density and the magnitude of the electron energy can be controlled. Further, by controlling the power of the first and second plasmas P1 and P2, 2 Plasma (P1, P2) can be controlled. The temperature conditions of the first and second plasma P1 and P2 can be controlled by controlling the first and second voltages V and H2 and the respective currents under the same power condition. Here, the temperature refers to the temperature of the neutral species contained in the first and second reactants, and it can constitute a high-temperature state under a low-voltage-high current condition and a relatively low-temperature state under a high-voltage- .

The first plasma reactor 1 includes a first housing 11 through which a reactant introduced into one side is converted into a first reactant and a second housing 11 housed in the first housing 11, And a first electrode E11 that forms a discharge gap G1 between the inner surfaces of the electrodes E11 and E11.

The first housing 11 is electrically grounded and is configured to discharge the first reactant that has flowed into the reactor as one of the circulating flows and is changed in the reactant by the plasma arc discharge. For example, the first housing 11 may be formed as a cylinder.

The first electrode E11 generates a plasma arc discharge in the discharge gap G1 by applying the first voltage V to generate the first plasma P1 in the discharge gap G1. For example, the first electrode E11 is formed into a conical structure in which the diameter rapidly increases on the inlet side of the reactant and the diameter gradually decreases after the discharge gap G1.

The first electrode E11 is mounted on one side of the first housing 11 through the insulating member 12 and the insulating member 12 seals one side of the first housing 11. [ A reactant supply chamber 13 is provided outside the first housing 11 between the insulating member 12 and the discharge gap G1.

The reactant supply chamber 13 supplies reactants to the inside of the first housing 11 through a supply port 14 formed in the first housing 11. The supply port 14 is formed to be inclined at an angle (not shown) relative to the inner circumferential surface of the first housing 11 so that the reactant can be supplied while forming a rotational flow inside the first housing 11.

The first housing 11 has an accommodating portion 15 extended to the discharge side of the first reactant and the accommodating portion 15 is connected to one end of the second plasma reactor 2. That is, one end of the second plasma reactor 2 may be inserted into the receiving part 15 and connected thereto.

The second plasma reactor 2 includes a second housing 21 formed of a dielectric and coupled to the receiving portion 15 of the first housing 11 and a second housing 21 disposed on the outer periphery of the second housing 21, And a twenty-first electrode E21 to which a high voltage (HV) is applied.

The second housing 21 is inserted into the receiving part 15 to discharge the changed second reactant from the first reactant flowing into the first housing. The housing part 15 to which the second housing 21 is coupled is connected to the first housing 11 and the second plasma reaction part 2 is connected to the second housing H21 by applying the second voltage HV to the twenty- As shown in Fig. The twenty-first electrode E21 and the accommodating portion 15 form a discharge gap G2.

The twenty-first electrode E21 generates the second plasma P2 in the second housing 21 in the dielectric barrier discharge in the ground state of the second voltage HV and the accommodating portion 15, And converts the reactant into a second reactant. That is, the electron density and the electron energy are controlled in the first reactant and become the second reactant.

That is, the plasma reactor 100 of the first embodiment generates the first reactant at a high temperature by heating the reactant with the first plasma P1 of the plasma arc discharge rotating in the first plasma reactor 1, The first reactant is controlled by the second plasma (P2) of the dielectric barrier discharge of the reaction part (2) to control the electron density and the electron energy to generate the second reactant.

Since the plasma reactor 100 uses the first housing 11 as a ground between the first plasma reactor 1 and the second plasma reactor 2, You can increase your sex.

Meanwhile, the plasma reactor 100 forms the first reactant at a high temperature in the first plasma reactor 1 and directly supplies the first reactant to the inlet of the second plasma reactor 2, 2) at a high temperature and a low density.

Therefore, the second plasma reactor 2 can generate the second plasma P2 by a dielectric barrier discharge even at a relatively low high voltage (second voltage) HV, compared to a condition in which no plasma is generated at room temperature in the initial stage of driving To generate a second reactant.

Such low voltage driving reduces the energy required in the second plasma reactor 2 and reduces the voltage required to generate the second plasma P2 to reduce the burden on the power supply. That is, the power consumption of the plasma reactor 100 as a whole can be reduced.

In addition, in the plasma reactor 100, various chemical species, that is, vibrationally excited species, ions, and radicals are generated by the first plasma P1 of the first plasma reactor 1 .

These species are usually maintained for a few nanoseconds to a few microseconds. The plasma reactor 100 is connected to the second plasma P2 of the second plasma reactor 2 By extending the lifetime of the species contained in the first reactant, the species can be incorporated into the time scale of the desired chemical reaction.

Since the plasma reactor 100 connects the first plasma reactor 1 and the second plasma reactor 2, it controls the electron energy and density of the second reactant in the first reactant, Enables control of chemical species. Accordingly, the application field of the plasma reactor 100 is expanded.

The first plasma reactor 1 is a kind of thermal plasma (P1) which greatly affects the temperature of the reactant and the second plasma reactor 2 is a kind of plasma reactor And is a kind of non-thermal plasma (second plasma P2). The plasma reactor 100 generates and controls two kinds of first and second plasmas P1 and P2, so that various thermal characteristics suitable for application fields can be realized.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described. The configurations that are the same as those of the first embodiment and the previously described embodiments will be omitted and different configurations will be described.

3 is a cross-sectional view of a plasma reactor having multiple characteristics according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3, the plasma reactor 200 of the second embodiment further includes a twenty-second electrode E22 in the second plasma reactor 202 compared to the second plasma reactor 2 of the first embodiment. The twenty-second electrode E22 is grounded at the outer circumference of the second housing 21, spaced apart from the twenty-first electrode E21 by a predetermined gap, that is, a discharge gap G202.

The receiving portion 15 of the first housing 11 may be electrically insulated from the first plasma reaction portion 1 and may not serve as a ground to the second housing 21 of the second plasma reaction portion 202. In this case, when the twenty-second electrode E22 is grounded and the second voltage HV is applied to the twenty-first electrode E21, a wall charge is formed in the dielectric of the second housing 21, A plasma P2 is generated.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a second plasma reactor in a plasma reactor having multiple characteristics according to a third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-V of FIG. Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the plasma reactor of the third embodiment is configured to convert the first reactant into the second reactant with the second plasma P302 of the dielectric barrier discharge in the second plasma reactor 302.

The second plasma reactor 302 includes a twenty-first electrode E321 and a twenty-second electrode E322 which are embedded in the second housing 32 and the second housing 32 and face each other, and a dielectric 33 ).

The second housing 32 is configured to convert the reactant introduced into one side into a first reactant and discharge the reactant. For example, the second housing 32 is formed of a rectangular tube to facilitate the reception of the twenty-first electrode E321 and the twenty-second electrode E322, and the twenty-first electrode E321 and the twenty-second electrode E322, Electrically insulated.

The twenty-first electrode E321 and the twenty-second electrode E322 are embedded in the second housing 32 and form a discharge gap G302 therebetween. The second voltage HV is applied to the twenty-first electrode E321, and the twenty-second electrode E322 is grounded. At this time, the dielectric 33 forms a wall charge, and a second plasma P302 is generated as a dielectric barrier discharge in the discharge gap G302.

The discharge gap G302 is formed between the twenty-first electrode E321 and the dielectric 33 and the discharge gap G302 is formed between the twenty-first electrode E321 and the dielectric 33. In this case, And the second reactant is converted into the second reactant by the second plasma (P302).

In the plasma reactor of the third embodiment, the second plasma reactor 302 employs a plate-shaped dielectric barrier discharge reactor. The first plasma reaction part (not shown) may be modified by adapting the receiving part 15 in the first plasma reaction part 1 of FIG. 1 to correspond to the rectangular tubular body of the second housing 32.

6 is a cross-sectional view of a plasma reactor having multiple characteristics according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 6, the plasma reactor 400 of the fourth embodiment converts a reactant into a first reactant in an arc jet of a first plasma P401 in a first plasma reactor 401, 402 to a second plasma of dielectric barrier discharge (P402) into a second reactant.

The first plasma reaction unit 401 includes a first housing 41, an eleventh electrode E41 embedded in the first housing 41 and a twelfth electrode E42 provided on the discharge side of the first housing 41, .

The first housing 41 is formed of an insulating material and is configured to discharge the first reactant that has changed in the reactant flowing into the one side. By way of example, the reactants include a first reactant that is primarily flowed at one side of the first housing 41 and a second reactant that is secondarily flowed at the discharge side.

The eleventh electrode E41 is embedded in the first housing 41 and the first voltage V is applied to the eleventh electrode E41. The twelfth electrode E42 forms a discharge gap G41 with the eleventh electrode E41 and forms a nozzle to be grounded.

Accordingly, an arc A is formed between the eleventh electrode E41 and the twelfth electrode E42 by the first reactant and the first plasma P401 is generated in front of the twelfth electrode E42 by the supply of the second reactant. Is generated. That is, in the first plasma reactor 401, the reactant is converted into the first reactant, and the arc jet is ejected.

The second housing 32 is inserted and coupled to the receiving portion 45 of the first housing 41 and is configured to convert the introduced first reactant into a second reactant and discharge the same. When the second voltage HV is applied to the twenty-first electrode E321 and the twenty-second electrode E322 is grounded, a wall charge is formed in the second housing 32 so that the second plasma P402 .

7 is a cross-sectional view of a plasma reactor having multiple characteristics according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 6, the plasma reactor 500 of the fifth embodiment converts a reactant into a first reactant by microwave in a first plasma reactor 501 and a second reactant by a microwave in a second plasma reactor 502, And to convert the first reactant to the second reactant with a second plasma (P502).

The first plasma reactor 501 includes a nozzle 53, a waveguide 54, and a first housing 51. The nozzle 53 is configured to discharge the first reactant that has changed in the reactant. The waveguide 54 is configured to receive the nozzle 53 and form a short circuit 55 on one side of the nozzle 53 and to apply a microwave on the opposite side of the short circuit 55.

The first housing 51 is connected to the nozzle 53 of the wave guide 54 to discharge the first reactant heated in the reactant by the first plasma P501 generated by the microwave.

The second housing 32 is inserted and coupled to the receiving portion 56 of the first housing 51 and is configured to convert the introduced first reactant into a second reactant and discharge the same. When the second voltage HV is applied to the twenty-first electrode E321 and the twenty-second electrode E322 is grounded, a wall charge is formed in the second housing 32 so that the second plasma P402 .

That is, a reactor including a microwave, an arc jet, a rotating flow arc, and a DC torch may be used for the first plasma reaction unit which is a thermal plasma reaction unit. A dielectric barrier discharge and a pulsed corona discharge (PCD) reactor may be used in the second plasma reaction part, which is a non-thermal plasma reaction part.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments, but, on the contrary, And it goes without saying that the invention belongs to the scope of the invention.

1, 401, 501: a first plasma reaction unit
2, 202, 302, 402, 502: the second plasma reaction part
11, 41, 51: first housing 12: insulating member
13: Reactant supply chamber 14:
15, 41, 56: receiving portion 21, 32: second housing
33: Dielectric 53: Nozzle
54: Waveguide 55: Short circuit
100, 200, 400, 500: plasma reactor
E11, E41: Eleventh electrode E21, E321: Twenty-first electrode
E22, E322: 22nd electrode E42: 12th electrode
G1, G2, G202, G302, G41: discharge gap HV: second voltage
P1, P401, 501: first plasma P2, P302, P402, P502: second plasma
P401: Plasma arc jet V: First voltage

Claims (14)

A first plasma reactor generating a first reactant by raising a temperature of a reactant by generating a first plasma with a first voltage; And
Generating a second plasma by generating a second plasma at a second voltage higher than the first voltage to control the electron density and the electron energy of the first plasma contained in the first reactant to generate a second reactant, The second plasma reaction unit
/ RTI >
The second plasma reactor
A plasma reactor having multiple characteristics for generating a second plasma by dielectric barrier discharge.
The method according to claim 1,
The first plasma reactor
Wherein the first reactant is converted into a first reactant by discharging to form a first plasma at a high temperature of 800K to 5000K, the temperature of the neutral species of the first plasma contained in the first reactant.
In claim 2
The first plasma reactor
A plasma reactor having multiple characteristics for generating a first plasma by rotating arc discharge.
The method according to claim 1,
The second plasma reactor
A plasma reactor having multiple properties for converting a first reactant into a second reactant using a second plasma at a low temperature condition of 300 K to 1000 K, which is the temperature of the neutral species of the second plasma contained in the second reactant
delete The method according to claim 1,
The first plasma reactor may include:
A first housing that is electrically grounded and discharges the first reactant that has changed in the rotating flow reactant, and
A first housing having a discharge gap formed between the first housing and the inner surface of the first housing, the first electrode being connected to the first housing,
Wherein the plasma reactor is a plasma reactor.
The method according to claim 6,
The first housing includes:
And an accommodating portion extended on a discharge side of the first reactant,
One end of the second plasma reaction part
And is inserted into and connected to the accommodating portion
A plasma reactor having multiple characteristics.
8. The method of claim 7,
The second plasma reactor may include:
A second housing inserted into the receiving portion and formed of a dielectric material to discharge the changed second reactant from the first reactant flowing into the first housing,
And a second electrode provided on the outer periphery of the second housing and generating a second plasma in a dielectric barrier discharge in the second housing when a second voltage is applied,
Wherein the plasma reactor is a plasma reactor.
9. The method of claim 8,
The second plasma reactor may include:
A second electrode provided on the outer periphery of the second housing and spaced apart from the 21st electrode by a predetermined distance,
Wherein the plasma reactor is a plasma reactor.
The method according to claim 1,
The second plasma reactor may include:
A second housing for discharging the changed second reactant in the first reactant,
A twenty-first electrode and a twenty-second electrode embedded in the second housing and forming a discharge gap therebetween,
And a second electrode formed on one side of the twenty-second electrode that is grounded with the twenty-first electrode to which the second voltage is applied, forming a wall charge when a second voltage is applied to generate a second plasma from the discharge gap,
Wherein the plasma reactor has multiple characteristics.
The method according to claim 1,
The first plasma reactor
A plasma reactor having multiple properties for converting a reactant into a first reactant with a plasma arc jet.
12. The method of claim 11,
The first plasma reactor may include:
A first housing formed of an insulating material so as to discharge the first reactant changed in the reactant,
An eleventh electrode embedded in the first housing and to which a first voltage is applied,
A second electrode formed on the discharge side of the first housing and grounded to form a discharge gap with respect to the eleventh electrode,
Wherein the plasma reactor is a plasma reactor.
The method according to claim 1,
The first plasma reactor may include:
A plasma reactor having multiple properties for converting a reactant into a first reactant by microwave.
14. The method of claim 13,
The first plasma reactor may include:
A nozzle for discharging the changed first reactant in the reactant,
A waveguide for receiving the nozzle, forming a short circuit on one side of the nozzle and applying a microwave on the other side, and
A first housing connected to the nozzle bottom side of the wave guide and discharging a first reactant heated by the first plasma generated by the microwave;
Wherein the plasma reactor is a plasma reactor.

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