Howard Pearlman
Advanced Cooling Technologies, Inc., Lancaster, PA 17601, USA
Max Demydovych
Advanced Cooling Technologies, Inc., Lancaster, PA 17601, USA
Alex Rabinovich
Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
Shridhar Shenoy
Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
The use of a non-thermal (gliding arc) plasma fuel reformer for producing syngas by partial oxidation of methane is addressed. Experimental results from laboratory experiments are reported with attention to the hydrogen and carbon monoxide yields and their selectivities as a function of the inlet reactant composition, the flowrate, and the applied electrical power used to generate the electrical discharge. The specific energy density (defined as the ratio of the electrical energy applied per unit mass of hydrogen or syngas produced) is also reported along with the efficiency of the plasma fuel reformer. Baseline results with and without reactant preheating are reported.