A novel plasma reactor for NO/sub x/ control using photocatalyst and hydrogen peroxide injection

The authors have developed a new type of plasma reactor combining discharge plasma with a photocatalyst (TiO/sub 2/) which improves the performance of NO/sub x/ removal. This reactor is designated as a plasma-driven catalyst (PDC) reactor. The authors found that hydrogen peroxide (H/sub 2/O/sub 2/) is a very effective additive in this PDC reactor and the formation of undesirable by-product (such as O/sub 3/, N/sub 2/O) was reduced significantly. Comparative test results showed that the combination of discharge plasma with TiO/sub 2/ catalyst is a very effective method in NO/sub x/, removal over a conventional wire-cylinder reactor. NO/sub x/ was effectively oxidized to HNO/sub 3/ on the TiO/sub 2/ catalyst and trapped on the catalyst surface. Specific energy consumption of this de-NO/sub x/ process is significantly reduced, in particular, with the injection of H/sub 2/O/sub 2/.