Plasma reactor

Abstract

A plasma reactor including a plasma generating electrode which includes a plurality of unit electrodes hierarchically layered at specific intervals, a casing in which the plasma generating electrode is disposed, and a power supply which applies a voltage to the unit electrodes, generating plasma in a space formed between the unit electrodes by applying a pulse voltage between the unit electrodes from the power supply, and capable of processing exhaust gas introduced into the space through reaction, the plasma reactor further including a light-transmitting section formed in the casing for externally detecting light emitted by the plasma, light detection means capable of detecting light emitted by the plasma through the light-transmitting section, and control means for controlling electric energy applied to the unit electrodes depending on intensity of light detected by the light detection means.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing one embodiment of a plasma reactor according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing a light detection device forming one embodiment of the plasma reactor according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing another embodiment of the plasma reactor according to the present invention.

Claims

1. A plasma reactor comprising: a plasma generating electrode which includes a plurality of unit electrodes hierarchically layered at specific intervals,a casing in which the plasma generating electrode is disposed, anda power supply which applies a voltage to the unit electrodes,generating plasma in a space formed between the unit electrodes by applying a pulse voltage between the unit electrodes from the power supply, and capable of processing exhaust gas introduced into the space via reaction,the plasma reactor further comprising:a light-transmitting section formed in the casing for externally detecting light emitted by the plasma;light detection means capable of detecting light emitted by the plasma through the light-transmitting section formed in the casing; andcontrol means for controlling electric energy applied to the unit electrodes depending on intensity of light detected by the light detection means.

2. The plasma reactor according to claim 1, wherein the light detection means detects light due to atomic nitrogen radicals, molecular nitrogen radicals, atomic oxygen radicals, and molecular oxygen radicals contained in light emitted by the plasma.

3. The plasma reactor according to claim 1, wherein the light detection means includes a grating, a lens, and a photodetector and is formed so that the grating disperses incident light into a spectrum, the lens focuses the resulting light at each wavelength, and the photodetector receives light at a specific wavelength to detect the intensity of the light.

4. The plasma reactor according to claim 3, wherein the light detection means further includes a second lens which condenses the incident light onto the grating.

5. The plasma reactor according to claim 1, wherein the casing includes an external lens provided in the light-transmitting section, and the external lens focuses light emitted by the plasma onto the light detection means.