CH$_4$ reforming with CO$_2$ in a nanosecond pulsed discharge. The importance of the pulse sequence

Abstract

The plasma dry reforming reaction of methane with carbon dioxide is investigated in a nanosecond repetitively pulsed discharge, a type of plasma that offers one of the highest non-equilibrium and performance characteristics. The experiment's purpose was to examine the effect of varying the sequence of high-voltage pulses for the same plasma energy. We find that when successive pulses are closer than 500 $\rm \mu$s, a memory-dominated regime gradually develops, which influences subsequent breakdown events. As a result, both a higher reactant conversion and more efficient use of the energy injected into the discharge plasma are achieved.