Gaseous effluent treatment using a pulsed corona discharge

A pulsed corona reactor (PCR) has been investigated for the abatement of a variety of hazardous gaseous compounds including volatile organic compounds, chlorofluorocarbons, perfluorinated compounds and oxides of nitrogen. In this technique, a series of fast-risetime, high-voltage pulses are applied to a wire-cylinder geometry resulting in a plethora of streamer discharges within an atmospheric pressure flowing gas volume. This nonthermal plasma can be particularly effective in treating dilute concentrations of pollutant compounds where power consumption is of prime concern. Such conditions exist in a variety of situations including chemical warfare threat scenarios, semiconductor processing, and mobile sources. In order to assess the value of such a technology as a solution to practical applications, a complete analysis of reactor operation must be performed, including "wall-plug" efficiency and by-product identification. The results of a series of such experiments as well as future directions and areas of concern are presented.