Claims
- 1. A device for processing combustible gases, comprising:
a high voltage electrode; a ground electrode slightly spaced from the high voltage electrode; a dielectric layer disposed adjacent to the high voltage electrode between the high voltage electrode and the ground electrode; a gas modification passage established within the housing between the dielectric layer and the ground electrode; and a process gas supply providing a process gas to the gas modification passage.
- 2. A device as recited in claim 1, wherein the high voltage electrode is energizable to create nonthermal electrical microdischarges between the high voltage electrode and the ground electrode across the dielectric layer.
- 3. A device as recited in claim 2, wherein the process gas flows through the nonthermal electrical microdischarges.
- 4. A device as recited in claim 1, wherein the high voltage electrode is cylindrical.
- 5. A device as recited in claim 4, wherein the ground electrode is established by a metal oxidizer gas supply tube disposed within the high voltage electrode.
- 5. A device as recited in claim 4, wherein the ground electrode is established solid metal cylinder disposed within the high voltage electrode.
- 7. A device as recited in claim 5, wherein the dielectric layer is established by a cylindrical dielectric tube, the dielectric tube being circumscribed by the high voltage electrode.
- 8. A device as recited in claim 7, wherein the high voltage electrode, the dielectric tube, and the oxidizer gas supply tube are concentric to each other.
- 9. A device as recited in claim 8, wherein the gas modification passage is established between the dielectric tube and the oxidizer gas supply tube.
- 10. A device as recited in claim 9, further comprising:
a cylindrical dielectric tube circumscribing the oxidizer gas supply tube.
- 11. A device as recited in claim 1, wherein the high voltage electrode is a metal rectangular plate.
- 12. A device as recited in claim 11, wherein the ground electrode is a rectangular plate made from a metal, the ground electrode being slightly spaced from the high voltage electrode.
- 13. A device as recited in claim 12, wherein the dielectric layer is a rectangular plate made from a dielectric material.
- 14. A device as recited in claim 13, wherein the dielectric layer is a first dielectric layer and the device further comprises:
a second dielectric layer, the second dielectric layer being a rectangular plate, the gas modification passage being established between the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer.
- 15. A device for processing combustible gases, comprising:
a gas modification passage; means for supplying a process gas to the gas modification passage; and means for creating nonthermal electrical microdischarge at least partially along the length of the gas modification passage, the process gas flowing through the nonthermal electrical microdischarge.
- 16. A device as recited in claim 15, wherein the means for creating nonthermal electrical microdischarge comprises:
at least one high voltage electrode; at least one ground electrode slightly spaced from the high voltage electrode; and at least one dielectric layer disposed between the high voltage electrode and the ground electrode, the dielectric layer being adjacent to one of: the high voltage electrode or the ground electrode.
- 17. A device as recited in claim 16, wherein the gas modification passage is established between the high voltage electrode and the ground electrode at least partially along the length of the dielectric layer.
- 18. A device as recited in claim 17, wherein the high voltage electrode is energizable to create nonthermal electrical microdischarges between the high voltage electrode and the ground electrode across the dielectric layer.
- 19. A device for processing combustible gases, comprising:
a cylindrical housing; a metal oxidizer gas supply tube disposed within the housing, the oxidizer gas supply tube being electrically grounded; a first dielectric tube disposed within the housing around the oxidizer gas supply tube; a gas modification passage established between the oxidizer gas supply tube and the first dielectric tube; and a metal high voltage electrode circumscribing the first dielectric tube, the high voltage electrode being energizable to create nonthermal electrical microdischarges between the high voltage electrode and the oxidizer gas supply tube at least partially along the length of the gas modification passage.
- 20. A device as recited in claim 19, further comprising:
a process gas supply in fluid communication with the gas modification passage, the process gas supply providing process gas to the gas modification passage.
- 21. A device as recited in claim 20, further comprising:
a combustion chamber in fluid communication with the gas modification passage, the gas modification passage providing a modified gas to the combustion chamber.
- 22. A device as recited in claim 21, further comprising:
an air supply in fluid communication with: the gas modification passage or the combustion chamber.
- 23. A device as recited in claim 19, wherein the high voltage electrode is a metal cylinder.
- 24. A device as recited in claim 19, wherein the high voltage electrode is a wire wound around the first dielectric tube.
- 25. A device as recited in claim 19, further comprising:
a second dielectric tube circumscribing the oxidizer gas supply tube, the gas modification passage being established between the first dielectric tube and the second dielectric tube.
- 26. A device for processing combustible gases, comprising:
a rectangular box-shaped housing; a metal, rectangular, plate-shaped ground electrode disposed within the housing; a rectangular, plate-shaped first dielectric layer slightly spaced from the ground electrode; a gas modification passage established between the ground electrode and the dielectric layer; and a metal, rectangular, plate-shaped high voltage electrode adjacent to the dielectric layer, the high voltage electrode being energizable to create nonthermal electrical microdischarge between the high voltage electrode and the ground electrode at least partially along the length of the gas modification passage.
- 27. A device as recited in claim 26, further comprising:
a process gas supply in fluid communication with the gas modification passage, the process gas supply providing process gas to the gas modification passage.
- 28. A device as recited in claim 27, further comprising:
a combustion chamber in fluid communication with the gas modification passage, the gas modification passage providing a modified gas to the combustion chamber.
- 29. A device as recited in claim 28, further comprising:
an air supply in fluid communication with: the gas modification passage or the combustion chamber.
- 30. A device as recited in claim 19, further comprising:
a rectangular, plate-shaped second dielectric layer adjacent to the ground electrode, the gas modification passage being established between the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer.
- 31. A method for processing combustible gases, comprising:
establishing a gas modification passage, the gas modification passage defining a length; creating nonthermal electrical microdischarges at least partially along the length of the gas modification passage; and providing a process gas to the gas modification passage such that the process gas flows through the nonthermal electrical microdischarges.
- 32. A method as recited in claim 31, further comprising:
providing a modified process gas to a combustion chamber, the modified process gas resulting from the flow of process gas through the nonthermal electrical microdischarge.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0001] This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. W-7405-ENG-36, awarded by the Department of Energy. The Government has certain rights in this invention.