[Gasification] cat and arc use

[Peter Singfield]

As Jeffe points out in his arcing water examplke -- he was surprised the
water di not heat up fast.

Though the temperature of operation is very high -- the watts of power is
really very low.

If you figure dry wood at 2000 watt hour per pound -- 3 pound of that would
would equal everything that -- in my example 6kw arc is producing (well --
make it 4 pounds to cover combustion efficiency losses)

Compare that to a 6 kw diesel genset!!

>>>Has anyone seen if high voltage and frequency are effective versus
amperage at low voltage (a welder).
>>

Just so happens I lately downloaded a serious article on exactly that
perspective:

Conversion of Hydrocarbons into SynGas Stimulated by Nonthermal Atmospheric
Pressure Plasma

Alexander Fridman, Alexander Gutsol, Young I Cho, Chiranjeev Kalra

Get your copy here:

http://gcep.stanford.edu/pdfs/energy_workshops_04_04/hydrogen_fridman.pdf

Please look it over and let us all know if of potential value --

Killer line:

"Elec Energy Cost 0.06kWh/m3 of syngas (energy from syngas = 3.0KW-hr/m3 )"


I did a quick read -- very impressive indeed -- and as you suggest --
results for much less arc power!!

They name it: "Gliding Arc"

And it operates using power at: well -- all he devulges is "Hih voltage DC"

•Only 2.0% of Total Energy Consumption Required for Plasma Power

•Elec Energy Cost 0.06kWh/m3 of syngas (energy from syngas = 3.0KW-hr/m3 )

•92% conversion at Equivalence ratio of 3.3

•Internal Heat Recuperation (Preheating) at 750 K

•No soot Deposition

•Large Specific Production rates due to low residence times

•Effective for Higher Hydrocarbon conversion to SynGas

•Not Sensitive to Sulfur and Other Impurities

sounds like the proverbial dream gasification -- eh??

It does not work on solids -- only gasses -- he uses methane to make syngas.

I would investigate making syngas from pyrolysis off-gas --

After all -- reaping syngas from the char making process would be a major
feather in that energy conversion's efficiencies -- 

And one of the products those Chinese permanant magnet DC welders produce
is 220 volts DC at 300 Hz -- square wave.

Ergo -- my interest in this process.

Peter/Belize


At 06:58 AM 6/23/2007 -0700, you wrote:
>Dan N., Dan C., Peter and list,
>   
>  Now I ask this question...would an electric arc supplement a catalyst
unit and require less power than the arc alone, reducing the electric
input?  Is there perhaps a "sweet spot" for a combined catalyst/arc, for
example at 1800 f and 10% of arc alone electric.  Has anyone seen if high
voltage and frequency are effective versus amperage at low voltage (a
welder).  My tig certainly crackles when the atmosphere is wet.  That's
mostly the high frequency though, not big power.  But that high freq. arc
starts the power flow from a much greater distance like a carrier.  The
question then is, is it the heat alone (of the arc) that causes the
reaction or is there another factor where a small application of electric
energy could get a big return in H and CO (ie most energy input from the
catalyst), like a high voltage spark at low power?  
>   
>  Daniel Chisholm, does this theory (catalyst) work on the DTU simulation
model?  Speaking of DTU, after looking at their diagrams, I cannot figure
out the "2 stages".  Can you provide a simplified explanation or did I miss
one on the site?
>   
>  Regards,   Toby Seiler  
>   
>   
>   
>   
>   
>   
>
>       
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