Destruction Efficiency and Power Usage for a Single Dielectric Discharge Barrier Plasma Reactor

Abstract

This study was conducted for Tinker Air Force base in order to understand a scaled up plasma reactor for the destruction of volatile organics compounds (VOCs) from paint booth emissions. A 90% destruction efficiency and an instant-on/ instant-off feature were desired for the final system. A single dielectric barrier discharge plasma reactor with a cylindrical geometry was analyzed for toluene destruction efficiency and ozone production with respect to three parameters: the number of tubes, retention time, and applied voltage. Power system requirements and effluent products were also analyzed. The system was capable of exceeding the desired 90% destruction efficiencies, and only small amounts of ozone or other effluent contaminants were produced. Not enough data was collected to fully understand through statistical analysis the interaction among the studied parameters for destruction, power, or ozone.