Influence of specific energy inhomogeneity on the CO2 splitting performance in a high-power plasma jet.

Plasma-based CO 2 conversion is a promising pathway towards greenhouse gas recycling. In the corresponding research field, various types of plasma reactors are applied for carbon dioxide dissociation. So far, spatial inhomogeneities of the specific energy (SEI) distribution in plasma generators, e.g., induced by non-uniform heating or an inhomogeneous mass distribution, are not the focus of the investigations. In this work, the spatial inhomogeneity of mass-specific enthalpy in the plasma jet of the inductive plasma generator IPG4 at the Institute of Space Systems (IRS) is examined. For this purpose, the mean mass-specific enthalpy as well as the radial distribution of the local enthalpy are measured using plasma probes. Moreover, the influence of the determined specific enthalpy inhomogeneity on the CO 2 splitting performance is quantified. It is shown that an inhomogeneous radial distribution of the specific energy can significantly lower the carbon dioxide conversion, compared to a homogeneous case. With regards to IPG4, the performance reduction is 16%. • Measurement of mean and local mass-specific enthalpy in a high-power CO 2 plasma. • Determination of mass flux distribution in a plasma jet. • Spatial inhomogeneity of specific energy input lowers CO 2 splitting performance in plasma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]