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Nonthermal plasma processor utilizing additive-gas injection and/or gas extractionRelated Patent Categories: Chemical Apparatus And Process Disinfecting, Deodorizing, Preserving, Or Sterilizing, Chemical Reactor, With Means Applying Electromagnetic Wave Energy Or Corpuscular Radiation To Reactants For Initiating Or Perfecting Chemical Reaction, Electrostatic Field Or Electrical DischargeNonthermal plasma processor utilizing additive-gas injection and/or gas extraction description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060193759, Nonthermal plasma processor utilizing additive-gas injection and/or gas extraction. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/395,046, filed on Mar. 21, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. ______ incorporated herein by reference in its entirety INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC [0004] Not Applicable BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0005] 1. Field of the Invention [0006] This invention pertains generally to devices for processing contaminated/polluted gases or gases to be used as feedstocks for chemical synthesis/modification, and more particularly to non-thermal plasma reactors. [0007] 2. Description of Related Art [0008] The emission and discharge of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are strictly regulated by the U.S. Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), and the National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollution regulations (NESHAPS). [0009] Technical and regulatory difficulties associated with current VOC and HAP treatment methods such as air-stripping (dilution), activated-carbon absorption, incineration, and thermal-catalytic treatment have prompted the search for alternatives. The drawbacks of present methods result in ineffective treatment, the generation of large secondary waste streams, and increased costs. It is also recognized that, for example, to operate fossil-fueled motor vehicles and other combustion-related engines or machinery under higher efficiency and reduced pollution output conditions in the future, it is desirable to have clean-burning, energy-efficient, hydrocarbon liquid fuels. This invention can also be used to synthesize such fuels from gaseous feedstocks. [0010] The present invention has recognized these prior art drawbacks, and has provided the below-disclosed solutions to one or more of the prior art deficiencies. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0011] This invention overcomes many of these drawbacks and enables the end user to effectively treat VOCs and HAPs while meeting regulations in a timely and economical fashion. In addition to VOCs/HAPs, this invention shows promise for treating other air pollutants and hazardous/toxic chemicals in gases (e.g., acid rain precursors NOx and SOx, odor causing chemicals, chemical/biological warfare agents, and industrial emissions). Additionally, higher-order hydrocarbons (e.g., for motor vehicle fuels) can be synthesized using a nonthermal plasma (NTP) device according to the present invention. [0012] By way of example, and not of limitation, the present invention is a device that employs electrical discharges/nonthermal plasmas in a gaseous medium to destroy air pollutants or undesirable chemicals/chemical or biological agents; process chemicals, or synthesize chemical compounds. In nonthermal plasmas, the electrons are "hot", while the ions and neutral species are "cold" which results in little waste enthalpy being deposited in a process gas stream. This is in contrast to thermal plasmas, where the electron, ion, and neutral-species energies are in thermal equilibrium (or "hot") and considerable waste heat is deposited in the process gas. The present invention utilizes a method for injecting additive gases/chemical compounds into the process gas stream to increase the efficiency and/or selectivity of the plasma processing. In prior-art dielectric-barrier (DB) reactors, an additive, e.g., an injection/extraction gas, has not been applied. Doing so allows for a greater variety of active species to be produced with associated increases in effective active species yields. Also, some chemical injectants (e.g., those with low photoionization cross sections) can be used to "seed" the discharge so a more homogeneous bulk-volume plasma results. This can provide advantages in terms of spreading the active species over the plasma reactor volume and, thereby, decreasing deleterious active species consumption mechanisms (e.g., radical-radical recombination). [0013] In the present invention, the NTP reactor is applied to gas streams containing hazardous/toxic, or other undesirable pollutants or contaminants and to gas streams that are to be processed (i.e., changed in chemical form or transformed into other useful products). [0014] In one aspect of the present invention, a device for processing contaminated gases includes a high voltage electrode and a ground electrode that is slightly spaced from the high voltage electrode. A dielectric layer is disposed in close contact with the high voltage electrode between the high voltage electrode and the ground electrode. Moreover, a gas modification passage is established within the housing between the dielectric layer and the ground electrode. A process gas supply provides a process gas to the gas modification passage and an injection/extraction gas supply provides an injection/extraction gas to the gas modification passage. The high voltage electrode is energizable to create nonthermal electrical microdischarges between the high voltage electrode and the ground electrode, distributed over the dielectric layer area within the gas modification passage. As the process gas and the injection/extraction gas flow through the gas modification passage, the process gas is modified to yield a modified process gas in which entrained pollutants have been destroyed. Or, the process gas can be modified to yield a fuel that can be more easily and efficiently combusted with less resultant pollution. [0015] In another aspect of the present invention, a device for processing gases includes a gas modification passage that defines a length. The device further includes a means for supplying a process gas to the gas modification passage and a means for supplying an injection/extraction gas to the gas modification passage. Further, the device includes means for creating non-thermal electrical microdischarges along the length of the gas modification passage. [0016] In yet another aspect of the present invention, a device for processing gases includes a cylindrical housing. A metal injection/extraction gas supply tube is disposed within the housing and is electrically grounded. A first dielectric tube surrounds the injection/extraction gas supply tube. Moreover, a gas modification passage is established between the injection/extraction gas supply tube and the first dielectric tube. In this aspect, a metal high voltage electrode circumscribes the first dielectric tube. The high voltage electrode is energizable to create nonthermal electrical microdischarges between the high voltage electrode and the injection/extraction gas supply tube along the length of the gas modification passage. [0017] In still another aspect of the present invention, a device for processing gases includes a rectangular box-shaped housing. A metal, rectangular, plate-shaped injection/extraction gas manifold is disposed within the housing. The injection/extraction gas manifold is formed with injection/extraction gas passages and is electrically grounded. Further, a rectangular, dielectric plate is installed in the housing such that it is slightly spaced from the injection/extraction gas manifold. A gas modification passage is established between the ground electrode and the dielectric layer. This aspect of the present invention further includes a metal, rectangular, plate-shaped high voltage electrode that is adjacent to the dielectric layer. The high voltage electrode is energizable to create nonthermal electrical microdischarges between the high voltage electrode and the injection/extraction gas manifold along the length of the gas modification passage. [0018] In yet still another aspect of the present invention, a device for processing gases includes a rectangular box-shaped housing. A metal, rectangular, plate-shaped high voltage electrode is installed within the housing. Moreover, a rectangular, first dielectric plate is installed within the housing adjacent to the high voltage electrode. Further, the device includes a rectangular, second dielectric plate that is slightly spaced from the first dielectric plate. A metal, rectangular, plate-shaped ground electrode is adjacent to the second dielectric plate. In this aspect, a gas modification passage is established between the first dielectric plate and the second dielectric plate. Additionally, an injection/extraction gas manifold flanks the first dielectric plate and the second dielectric plate. The injection/extraction gas manifold is formed with an injection/extraction gas passage that is in fluid communication with the gas modification passage. Also, the high voltage electrode is energizable to create nonthermal electrical microdischarges between the high voltage electrode and the ground electrode along the length of the gas modification passage. [0019] In still another aspect of the present invention, a method for processing gases includes establishing a gas modification passage. Nonthermal electrical microdischarges are created along the length of the gas modification passage. A process gas is provided to the gas modification passage such that the process gas flows through the nonthermal electrical microdischarge. Also, an injection/extraction gas is provided to the gas modification passage such that the injection/extraction gas flows through the nonthermal electrical microdischarges with the process gas. [0020] An object of the invention is to provide a relatively high degree of contaminant removal. [0021] Another object of the invention is to decrease contaminant-removal costs. [0022] Another object of the invention is to provide more efficient and/or selective chemical processing/synthesis. Continue reading about Nonthermal plasma processor utilizing additive-gas injection and/or gas extraction... 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