Fuel Reforming using a Microdischarge Assisted Dielectric Barrier Discharge and the Reformed Fuel Effects on Bunsen Flame Structure

Summary form only given. In order to obtain fuel quality tolerant and stable lean combustion technology we explored the feasibility of plasma fuel reforming and applying the reformed fuel on combustion. Three different plasma sources are used as a non-thermal plasma source for reforming fuels into hydrogen and low hydrocarbons, which are dielectric barrier discharge (DBD), microhollow cathode discharge (MHCD), and microdischarge assisted DBD discharge. The effects of the reformed fuel on combustion characteristics have been experimentally investigated in Bunsen burner flame. When microdischarges are incorporated with large volume diffuse feature of DBD, we can obtain the large volume stable uniform discharge plasma with higher density and the breakdown voltage of DBD can be lowered owing to the generation of reactive radicals and high energy electrons by microdischarges at low-voltages. The reformed fuel species are also numerically calculated using a KINEMA/ELENDIF and compared with experimental results.