Hydrogen production by reforming of hydrocarbons and alcohols in a dielectric barrier discharge

This work reports about the use of plasmas to obtain hydrogen by reforming of hydrocarbons or alcohols in mixtures with CO2 or H2O. The plasma is activated in a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor working at atmospheric pressure and low temperatures (i.e., about 100 °C). The reactor presents a great versatility in operation and a low manufacturing cost. Results are presented for the reforming of methane, methanol and ethanol. Methane transforms up to a 70% into CO and H2 without formation of any kind of superior hydrocarbon. For the two alcohols 100% conversion into the same products is found for flows much higher than in the case of methane. The work reports a description of the reactor and the operational conditions of the power supply enabling the ignition of the plasma and its steady state operation.