Title: Confined plasma gliding arc discharges

Authors: Radu Burlica, Bruce R. Locke

Addresses: Electrical Engineering Faculty, Technical University, 'Gh. Asachi' Iasi, Blv. D. Mangeron 51–53, 700055, Iasi, Romania. ' Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Florida State University, 2525 Pottsdamer Street, Tallahassee, Florida, 32310, USA

Abstract: A confined plasma gliding arc is produced in a reactor with two-electrodes contained within a very narrow channel and water spray injected into the discharge. The evolution of pH and conductivity and the formation of hydrogen peroxide in pure water with different carrier gases and the decolourisation and mineralisation of an organic dye were compared with results for a non-confined three-electrode gliding arc reactor. The energy efficiency for the decolourisation of an organic blue dye in the confined reactor is twice that of the non-confined reactor. Significant levels of total organic carbon are removed in the confined plasma reactor.

Keywords: gliding arc discharge; electrical discharge; solution treatment; organic dyes; hydrogen peroxide; plasma gliding arc; decolourisation; mineralisation; energy efficiency; total organic carbon; confined plasma reactors.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEWM.2008.021788

International Journal of Environment and Waste Management, 2008 Vol.2 No.4/5, pp.484 - 498

Published online: 04 Dec 2008 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article