DIRECT METHANOL SYNTHESIS USING NONTHERMAL PULSED PLASMA GENERATED BYA SOLID-STATE PULSE-GENERATOR

Conversion of hydrocarbon fuels to methanol will promote their efficie nt utilization since methanol can easily be converted to hydrogen usin g low temperature heat energy, which would otherwise be disposed. Conv entional process for methanol synthesis requires large amount of energ y, therefore it can not be applied in the energy utilization system. T he non-thermal plasma process can induce chemical reactions that do no t occur under usual condition, and attempts have been made to apply a pulsed discharge plasma for direct methanol synthesis. A solid state p ulse generator has been developed to increase frequency of pulse. A pu lsed voltage of 1 similar to 2 mu s rise time and 4 similar to 5 mu s pulse width can be generated with frequency of 10 kHz. It was found th at voltage and current characteristics was different with type of the reactor. The pulse generator was used for the methanol synthesis. Meth anol with concentration of up to 0.7 % could be obtained at 5 kHz puls e frequency and 6.7 sec gas residence time, when CH4/O-2 (96:4) mixtur e was used at room temperature.