A study of ozone synthesis in coaxial cylinder pulse streamer corona discharge reactors

Synthesis of ozone in coaxial cylinder non-thermal plasma reactors with different structures was investigated in this paper. With digital measuring technology, the absorption energy of non-thermal plasma reactors induced by pulse streamer corona was estimated. In the view of energy absorption of non-thermal plasma reactors, pulse input energy depended on reactor structures, as well as pulse parameters, such as pulse amplitude and DC bias. With coaxial cylinder reactors energized by pulse voltage, the influences on ozone generation of pulse voltage polarity, pulse amplitude, and pulse repetition rate were studied. It was found that positive pulse voltage induced higher ozone generation than negative pulse voltage and higher amplitude pulses generated more ozone. Increasing the pulse repetition rate at a low level increased ozone generation to some extent, but then leveled off with further increasing. A critical repetition rate was found at which the ozone synthesis was the most efficient. Lower pulse amplitude was associated with higher critical repetition rate. Superimposing DC bias on pulse voltage was an effective method to enhance ozone generation. Besides, discharge modes and electrode structures of reactors affect ozone generation. A mixed discharge mode of volume and surface discharges was the most effective mode to generate ozone in all of the experimental discharge modes, namely volume, surface, volume and surface mixed discharge modes. Moreover, helix-cylinder reactors were better than wire-to-cylinder reactors in generating ozone.