Some of ECP associates have already performed this process (1995) in GlidArc-I electrical discharges. Two bench scale reactors were used:

Glass 0.1 L cold-wall vessel, and
1.3 L steel tube.

Two or six knife-shaped steel electrodes were put around the gas-flow axis forming a flat or cylindrical nozzle. The gas flow-rate was up to 2.3 m³(n)/h. The Natural Gas (NG) was preheated in the larger reactor jacket and then injected between the electrodes at atmospheric pressure. The temperature of the exiting was below 500°C. Up to 34% of the initial feed was converted, mostly to H₂ and C₂H₂, at very promising energetic.

GlidArc-I discharge in pure methane at 1 atm

Two main pyrolysis reactions (both endothermic) were observed:

CH₄ = C + 2 H₂

CH₄ = 0.5 C₂H₂ + 1.5 H₂

Very high selectivity to acetylene (70-90%) and only 30-10% selectivity to soot (a very dry and light matter composed nano-particles of carbon) were observed.

The energetic expense for production of 1 m³(n) H₂ + 0.18 m³(n) C₂H₂ was around 2.6 kWh for that bench scale process. We believe it can be lowered as result of further development (see our paper presented in 10^th Canadian Hydrogen Conference, Quebec, 2000)

Inexpensive, powerful and easily controllable gliding discharges can considerably improve Hydrogen and acetylene production, also when limited quantities of these gases are needed. Compact GlidArc reactors for methane or NG pyrolysis can be easily integrated to any process, engine, vehicle, etc. (no cooling, no electrode corrosion, simple power supply) when gas products separation is not necessary. GlidArc reactors can also reach a large industrial size at multi-electrodes mounting.

ECP explores an idea of a GlidArc-assisted pyrolysis of the NG for Zero- or Low-Emission-Vehicle as a part of systems supplying pure H₂ for a PEM a fuel cell or supplying only partially converted NG (such as Hythaneä CH₄ + H₂ mix) for fuelling a piston engine.

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