Dielectric-barrier discharge for processing of SO2/NOx

Abstract

We report the results of an investigation of plasma assisted oxidation of SO2 to SO3. The SO3 is a more desirable byproduct of flue gas as opposed to SO2 because it can be dissolved in water easily and can be reacted with lime to form gypsum. A coaxial dielectric‐barrier discharge is used to generate an air plasma to carry out the reaction. The dielectric‐barrier discharge, which is an interrupted discharge, is very efficient in producing atomic oxygen and requires a simple form of excitation. We have observed a significant reduction (over 75%) in the SO2 concentration using this technique. The simulation results indicate that about 99% of the SO2 can be oxidized with UV‐irradiation along with plasmaoxidation and NO x can be reduced to N2 in the presence of an air plasma. The results of varying the gas composition, the gas pressure, and the gas flow are also reported.