abstract
To reduce the energy consumption of the process of CO2 reforming CH4 by plasma, the
experiments about synergies of thermal plasma and commercial Z107 Ni/Al2O3 catalysts
are investigated in three elaborate modes: the binode plasma only, the combination of the
plasma and catalysts (CPC), the CPC with part of feed gases introduced into plasma
discharge region. The optimal specific energy of 193 kJ/mol and energy conversion efficiency
of 66% are achieved under the conditions of CH4/CO2 of 4/6, input power at 14.4 kW,
feed gases of 5m3/h in mode 3, when the conversions of CH4 and CO2 are 77% and 62%, and
the selectivities of H2 and CO are 88% and 97%, respectively. The experimental results are
very close to the industrial requirement compared with steam-reforming process. The
excellent performance of this process is attributed to three different reaction mechanisms,
which will be discussed in this paper.