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Study of the Production of Hydrogen and Light Hydrocarbons by Spark Discharges in Diesel, Kerosene, Gasoline, and Methane

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Abstract

Reforming liquid fuels into hydrogen and light hydrocarbons is desirable for improving the combustion characteristics of the fuels and the production of reducing agents for applications such as the removal of nitrogen oxides. In this study, diesel, kerosene, gasoline and methane were reformed by spark discharges between needle and plate electrodes at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. The gaseous products from liquid fuels comprised 65–70 % hydrogen and 30–35 % light hydrocarbons having two carbon atoms per molecule (i.e., C2s), or three carbon atoms per molecule (i.e., C3s). The product gases were 90 % hydrogen and 10 % C2s in the case of methane reforming. The energy efficiency for the production of gaseous products was highest in the case of gasoline at 3.8 mol/kWh, followed by kerosene, diesel and methane at 3.2, 3.0, and 2.4 mol/kWh, respectively. These results were found to be comparable to those reported by others for the reforming of pure hydrocarbons by plasmas in liquids. The liquid fuels turned black due to the formation of carbonaceous products, some of which could be filtered out as solid carbon particles, but others remained dissolved and imparted color to the treated liquid.

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Acknowledgments

This work is supported by the “Frank Reidy Fellowship in Environmental Plasma Research” and with internal funds of the Frank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Frank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics, Old Dominion University, 4211 Monarch Way, Suite 300, Norfolk, VA, 23508, USA

    Muhammad Arif Malik, Shu Xiao & Karl H. Schoenbach

  2. The Math and Science Academy, Ocean Lakes High School, 885 Schumann Drive, Virginia Beach, VA, 23454, USA

    David Hughes

  3. Granby High School, 7101 Granby Street, Norfolk, VA, 23505, USA

    Areej Malik

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  1. Muhammad Arif Malik
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  2. David Hughes
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  3. Areej Malik
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  4. Shu Xiao
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Correspondence to Muhammad Arif Malik.

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Malik, M.A., Hughes, D., Malik, A. et al. Study of the Production of Hydrogen and Light Hydrocarbons by Spark Discharges in Diesel, Kerosene, Gasoline, and Methane. Plasma Chem Plasma Process 33, 271–279 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11090-012-9429-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11090-012-9429-1

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