Pulsed sub-microsecond dielectric barrier discharge treatment of simulated glass manufacturing industry flue gas: removal of SO₂and NOx

Abstract

Experiments were carried out to investigate the removal of SO2 and NOx from simulated glass manufacturing industry flue gas containing O2, N2, NO, NO2, CO2, SO2 and H2O using a sub-microsecond pulsed dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) at atmospheric pressure. Removal efficiencies of SO2 and NOx (NO+NO2) were achieved as a function of gas temperature for two specific energies and two initial NO, NO2 and SO2 concentrations. The higher SO2 and NOx removal efficiencies were achieved in a gas stream containing 163 ppm of SO2, 523 ppm of NO, 49 ppm of NO2, 14% of CO2, 8% of O2, 16% of H2O and N2 as balance. The experimental results were evaluated using the energy cost or W-value (eV/molecule removed). About 100% of SO2 and 36% of NOx were removed at a gas temperature of 100 °C with an energy cost of about 45 eV/molecule removed and 36 eV/molecule removed, respectively. These results indicate that DBD plasmas have the potential to remove SO2 and NOx from gas streams without additives.