| Sliding Arc Atmospheric Plasma for Sustainable Processes |
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Project PID2020-14270RA-100 funded by: 01-09-2021 / 31-08-2024 Principal Investigator Ana María Gómez Ramírez Funding Organization: Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación. – Proyectos I+D+i «Retos Investigador» Code: PID2020-14270RA-100 Research Team: José Javier Brey Sánchez (Universidad de Loyola), José Cotrino Bautista, Paula de Navascués Garvín, Manuel Oliva Ramírez, Antonio Rodero (Universidad de Córdoba) |
The need to enable an effective transition from a fossil fuel-intensive economy to one in which development criteria are based on sustainable processes that do not generate CO₂ makes it necessary to develop new processes where electricity from renewable sources serves as the primary energy input.
The project “Sliding Arc Atmospheric Plasmas for Sustainable Processes”, hereinafter referred to as FIREBOW, aims to develop atmospheric plasma technologies that use electricity as a direct energy vector to carry out chemical processes that are conventionally addressed via catalytic techniques (typically at high pressures and temperatures, with low yields and the formation of undesired by-products). Specifically, the project seeks to develop a Sliding Arc Atmospheric Plasma (SAAP) reactor to drive three processes of significant industrial and environmental impact: ammonia (NH₃) synthesis, hydrogen (H₂) production, and water decontamination.
Ammonia is the primary substance used in fertilizers for agriculture, and its demand is increasing in line with global food needs. Regarding hydrogen, it is well known that the path toward a hydrogen-based economy represents one of the 21st century’s major challenges. In addition, the development of novel water purification techniques is increasingly necessary due to the growing presence of emerging contaminants—such as pesticides, compounds from the pharmaceutical and chemical industries, microorganisms, and even personal care products—that conventional methods cannot completely remove.
In its first stage, FIREBOW proposes to develop SAAP technology through the design, construction, modeling, and commissioning of a sliding arc reactor. Possible modifications to current SAAP reactor models will be explored, including the incorporation of piezoelectric materials to induce secondary electron emission phenomena, modifications to electrode surface characteristics, and adjustments to system geometry, all aimed at improving process performance in the future.
The complexity of the fundamental processes involved in these reactors will require a detailed study of their electrical response and mass and charge transport phenomena, as well as comprehensive plasma characterization and diagnostics based on parameters such as gas flow, interactions between excited species, residence time, and other basic operational parameters. Both experimental characterization and theoretical simulation of the reactor—carried out using computational methods—will be essential for its proper functioning and optimization of the proposed processes.
In the second stage, the project will focus on studying the reactions for H₂ and NH₃ production, with the goal of maximizing the energy efficiency of these processes as well as the efficiency of water purification. The scientific and technological developments proposed in FIREBOW are of significant interest to various socio-economic actors, with planned activities to transfer knowledge and technology to companies and entities that have already expressed interest in its development.