Heavy oil conversion by plasma chemical reactors

Abstract

Conversion of heavy oils into light hydrocarbons has been experimentally studied using discharge plasma. The purpose of this study was to improve the understanding of the parameter characteristics for optimal design of the plasma reactors on the conversion of heavy oils. The low molecular weight hydrocarbons obtained constitute NOx removal system using light olefin hydrocarbons, such as ethylene and propylene as additives. In the present paper, the authors examined the effect of the parameters such as gap distance of electrodes, carrier gas flow rate, and power applied. Results indicated that the reactions occurring in this process of heavy oil conversion showed an important selective behavior. The major products obtained were hydrocarbon compounds with one, two, three and four atoms of carbon, such as CH/sub 4/, C/sub 2/H/sub 4/, C/sub 3/H/sub 6/, C/sub 4/H/sub 10/, being ethylene the main compound. The plate-plate reactor driven by AC high voltage showed the best performance in reaching notably high efficiencies. The optimum set of values for the parameters studied gave rise to efficiencies in the order of 60 microlitre/Joules. This value was sufficient as one of the available onsite production methods of hydrocarbon gas for the treatment of nitrogen oxides in the exhaust gas from diesel engines.