Combined steam reforming of CO2-containing natural gas and partial oxidation in a multistage gliding arc discharge system

Abstract

When commercially converting methane to synthesis gas, conventional catalytic processes require both high temperature and high pressure, resulting in high energy consumption and catalyst deactivation. Non-thermal plasma is considered a promising alternative technology for synthesis gas production because it can be operated in ambient conditions. In this research, the effect of stage number of multistage gliding are discharge system on the process performance of combined steam reforming and partial oxidation of simulated natural gas was investigated. The simulated natural gas contained 70% methane, 5% ethane, 5% propane and 20% carbon dioxide. The experiments were carried out to investigate reactant conversions, product selectivities and yields, and power consumption by varying either residence time or stage number of plasma reactors, feed flow rate, hydrocarbons (HCs)/O₂ feed molar ratio and input voltage. An increase in stage number from 1 to 3 stages at a constant feed flow rate enhanced the reactant conversions, and H₂ yield with a reduction of energy consumption. The lowest energy consumption of 3.49x10ˉ¹⁷ Ws per molecule of reactants converted or 2.04x10 ˉ¹⁷ Ws per molecule of hydrogen produced was obtained from 3 stages of plasma reactors at a residence time and feed flow rate of 4.11 s and 100 cm³/min, respectively.