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6038483 
Journal Article 
Plasma dry reforming of methane in an atmospheric pressure AC gliding arc discharge: Co-generation of syngas and carbon nanomaterials 
Tu, Xin; Whitehead, JC 
2014 
Yes 
International Journal of Hydrogen Energy
ISSN: 0360-3199 
39 
18 
9658-9669 
WOS:000337859700010 
An alternating-current (AC) gliding arc reactor has been developed offering a new route for the co-generation of syngas and value-added carbon nanomaterials by plasma dry reforming of methane. Different carbon nanostructures including spherical carbon nanoparticles, multi-wall carbon nanotubes and amorphous carbon have been obtained as by-products of syngas generation in the plasma system. Optical emission spectra of the discharge demonstrate the formation of different reactive species (Al, CO, CH, C2, Hα, Hβ and O) in the plasma dry reforming reaction. The effect of different operating parameters (feed flow rate, input power and CH4/CO2 molar ratio) on the performance of the plasma process has been evaluated in terms of the conversion of feed gas, product selectivity and energy conversion efficiency. It is interesting to note that gliding arc plasma can be used to generate much cleaner gas products of which syngas is the main one. The results also show that the energy efficiency of dry reforming using gliding arc plasma is an order of magnitude higher than that for processing using dielectric barrier or corona discharges. Both of these can be attributed to the higher electron density in the order of 1023 m−3 generated in the gliding arc plasma. 
Dry reforming; Hydrogen production; Gliding arc; Energy efficiency; Carbon nanomaterials; Optical emission spectroscopy