Investigation of Humidity Effect on Atmospheric Plasma Decomposition of Toxic Gas With Direct Optical Measurement of OH Radicals

Plasma application for environment improvement is desirable. In order to improve the efficiency of toxic gas decomposition by plasma, it is worthwhile to clarify the behavior of radicals in nonthermal plasma. Although previous studies have revealed the behavior of radical densities and temperatures in atmospheric discharge, they are not yet connected to apprehension or simulation of practical toxic gas decomposition by atmospheric plasma. In this study, the coaxial dielectric barrier discharge cylinder reactor is prepared, where the radical behavior and the toxic gas decomposition efficiency can be measured altogether. The density of OH radical is directly measured by laser-induced fluorescence, and trichloroethylene (TCE) decomposition efficiency is also investigated in the same reactor. TCE decomposition efficiency is suppressed as background humidity increases. On another front, OH density measurement in ac barrier discharge indicates that OH density is about 2-4 ×10¹¹ cm^-3 in time and spatial average and saturated with increasing humidity. From the saturation pattern, the initial OH density is estimated to be about the order of 10¹⁴ cm^-3 in streamer site. In addition, TCE addition in background reduces OH density, which indicates that OH reacts with TCE. The reason for the suppression of decomposition efficiency with increasing humidity is estimated as a consequence of O radical reduction by water-originated particles.