| Sliding Arc Atmospheric Plasmas for Sustainable Processes |
|---|
Project PID2020-114270RA-I00 funded by: 01/09/2021 – 31/03/2025 Principal Investigator Ana María Gómez Ramírez Funding Organization: Ministry of Science and Innovation Code: PID2020-114270RA-I00 Research Team: José Javier Brey Sánchez, José Cotrino Bautista, Ana María Gómez Ramírez, María del Carmen García Martínez, Antonio Rodero Serrano, Paula de Navascués Garvín, Manuel Oliva Ramíre, Servando Marín Meana, Mateo Ruíz Martín |
The need to promote an effective transition from an economy based on the intensive use of fossil fuels to one in which development is grounded in sustainable processes that do not involve CO₂ emissions makes it essential to develop new approaches where the primary energy source is electricity generated from renewable resources. The project “Sliding Arc Atmospheric Plasmas for Sustainable Processes” (hereafter, FIREBOW) aims to develop atmospheric plasma technologies that use electricity as a direct energy vector to carry out chemical processes traditionally addressed through catalytic techniques (typically involving high pressures and temperatures, low efficiencies, and the formation of undesired by-products).
Specifically, the project seeks to design and optimize a Sliding Arc Atmospheric Plasma (SAAP) reactor to drive three processes with major industrial and environmental impact: ammonia (NH₃) synthesis, hydrogen (H₂) production, and water decontamination. Ammonia is the key component in fertilizers used in agriculture, and its demand continues to grow in line with global food needs. Hydrogen, on the other hand, is widely recognized as a cornerstone in the transition toward a sustainable energy economy. In addition, the development of innovative water treatment technologies is increasingly necessary due to the rise of emerging pollutants—such as pesticides, pharmaceutical and chemical compounds, microorganisms, and even personal care products—that conventional methods are unable to fully remove.
In a first stage, FIREBOW will focus on the development of SAAP technology through the design, construction, modelling, and optimization of a sliding arc reactor. Potential modifications to existing reactor designs will be explored, including the incorporation of piezoelectric materials to induce secondary electron emission phenomena, the modification of electrode surface properties, and changes in system geometry, all aimed at improving process efficiency in future applications.
Given the complexity of the fundamental processes involved in this type of reactor, a detailed study will be conducted on its electrical response, as well as on mass and charge transport phenomena. This will be complemented by a thorough characterization and diagnosis of the plasma under varying conditions, including gas flow, interactions between excited species, residence time, and other key operational parameters. Both experimental characterization and theoretical simulation—carried out using computational methods—will be essential for the proper functioning and optimization of the proposed processes.
In a second stage, the project will address the study of reactions for H₂ and NH₃ production, with the aim of maximizing their energy efficiency, as well as the application of the technology to water purification.
The scientific and technological developments proposed in FIREBOW are of significant interest to various socio-economic stakeholders, and technology transfer activities are envisaged with companies and institutions that have already expressed interest in its development.