Theory and measurements of electrophoretic effects in monolith, fixed-bed, and fluidized-bed plasma reactors

Summary Form only given, as follows. In recent characterization studies of fixed-bed and fluidized-bed plasma reactors, several anomalous flow features have been observed. The novel reactors involve the contacting of a high-frequency, resonantly sustained, disperse gas discharge with granular solids in a fixed or fluidized bed. Anomalies in the measured pressure drops and fluidization velocities have motivated the development of an appropriate theoretical approach to, and some additional experimental investigations of, electrophoretic effects in disperse gas discharges. A theory that includes the effects of space charge and diffusion has been used to estimate the electric field and charged particle density profiles. These profiles were then used to calculate velocity fields and gas flow rates for monolith, fixed-bed, and fluidized-bed reactors. The results were used to rationalize measurements of gas flow rates and axial pressure gradients in high-frequency disperse gas discharges with and without an additional DC axial electric field. The theory also proves to be a diagnostic model with which to infer plasma properties from features of the gas flow.<>