toggle visibility
Search within Results:
Display Options:

Select All    Deselect All
 |   | 
Details
   print
  Records Links
Author (up) Uytdenhouwen, Y.; Bal, Km.; Michielsen, I.; Neyts, Ec.; Meynen, V.; Cool, P.; Bogaerts, A. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title How process parameters and packing materials tune chemical equilibrium and kinetics in plasma-based CO2 conversion Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2019 Publication Chemical engineering journal Abbreviated Journal Chem Eng J  
  Volume 372 Issue Pages 1253-1264  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA); Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract Plasma (catalysis) reactors are increasingly being used for gas-based chemical conversions, providing an alternative method of energy delivery to the molecules. In this work we explore whether classical concepts such as

equilibrium constants, (overall) rate coefficients, and catalysis exist under plasma conditions. We specifically

investigate the existence of a so-called partial chemical equilibrium (PCE), and how process parameters and

packing properties influence this equilibrium, as well as the overall apparent rate coefficient, for CO2 splitting in

a DBD plasma reactor. The results show that a PCE can be reached, and that the position of the equilibrium, in

combination with the rate coefficient, greatly depends on the reactor parameters and operating conditions (i.e.,

power, pressure, and gap size). A higher power, higher pressure, or smaller gap size enhance both the equilibrium constant and the rate coefficient, although they cannot be independently tuned. Inserting a packing

material (non-porous SiO2 and ZrO2 spheres) in the reactor reveals interesting gap/material effects, where the

type of material dictates the position of the equilibrium and the rate (inhibition) independently. As a result, no

apparent synergistic effect or plasma-catalytic behaviour was observed for the non-porous packing materials

studied in this reaction. Within the investigated parameters, equilibrium conversions were obtained between 23

and 71%, while the rate coefficient varied between 0.027 s−1 and 0.17 s−1. This method of analysis can provide

a more fundamental insight in the overall reaction kinetics of (catalytic) plasma-based gas conversion, in order

to be able to distinguish plasma effects from true catalytic enhancement.
 
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000471670400116 Publication Date 2019-05-08  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1385-8947 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 6.216 Times cited 3 Open Access Not_Open_Access: Available from 05.05.2021  
  Notes European Fund for Regional Development; FWOFWO, G.0254.14N ; University of Antwerp; FWO-FlandersFWO-Flanders, 11V8915N ; The authors acknowledge financial support from the European Fund for Regional Development through the cross-border collaborative Interreg V program Flanders-the Netherlands (project EnOp), the Fund for Scientific Research (FWO; Grant Number: G.0254.14N), a TOP-BOF project and an IOF-SBO (SynCO2Chem) project from the University of Antwerp. K. M. B. was funded as a PhD fellow (aspirant) of the FWOFlanders (Fund for Scientific Research-Flanders), Grant 11V8915N. Approved Most recent IF: 6.216  
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @UA @ admin @ c:irua:159979 Serial 5171  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Uytdenhouwen, Y.; Bal, Km.; Neyts, Ec.; Meynen, V.; Cool, P.; Bogaerts, A. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title On the kinetics and equilibria of plasma-based dry reforming of methane Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Chemical Engineering Journal Abbreviated Journal Chem Eng J  
  Volume 405 Issue Pages 126630  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA); Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract Plasma reactors are interesting for gas-based chemical conversion but the fundamental relation between the plasma chemistry and selected conditions remains poorly understood. Apparent kinetic parameters for the loss and formation processes of individual components of gas conversion processes, can however be extracted by performing experiments in an extended residence time range (2–75 s) and fitting the gas composition to a firstorder kinetic model of the evolution towards partial chemical equilibrium (PCE). We specifically investigated the differences in kinetic characteristics and PCE state of the CO2 dissociation and CH4 reforming reactions in a dielectric barrier discharge reactor (DBD), how these are mutually affected when combining both gases in the dry reforming of methane (DRM) reaction, and how they change when a packing material (non-porous SiO2) is added to the reactor. We find that CO2 dissociation is characterized by a comparatively high reaction rate of 0.120 s−1 compared to CH4 reforming at 0.041 s−1; whereas CH4 reforming reaches higher equilibrium conversions, 82% compared to 53.6% for CO2 dissociation. Combining both feed gases makes the DRM reaction to proceed at a relatively high rate (0.088 s−1), and high conversion (75.4%) compared to CO2 dissociation, through accessing new chemical pathways between the products of CO2 and CH4. The addition of the packing material can also distinctly influence the conversion rate and position of the equilibrium, but its precise effect depends strongly on the gas composition. Comparing different CO2:CH4 ratios reveals the delicate balance of the combined chemistry. CO2 drives the loss reactions in DRM, whereas CH4 in the mixture suppresses back reactions. As a result, our methodology provides some of the insight necessary to systematically tune the conversion process.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000621197700003 Publication Date 2020-08-12  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1385-8947 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 6.216 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes The authors acknowledge financial support from the European Fund for Regional Development through the cross-border collaborative Interreg V program Flanders-the Netherlands (project EnOp), the Fund for Scientific Research (FWO; grant number: G.0254.14N), a TOP-BOF project and an IOF-SBO (SynCO2Chem) project from the University of Antwerp. Approved Most recent IF: 6.216  
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:172458 Serial 6411  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Uytdenhouwen, Y.; Hereijgers, J.; Breugelmans, T.; Cool, P.; Bogaerts, A. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title How gas flow design can influence the performance of a DBD plasma reactor for dry reforming of methane Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication Chemical Engineering Journal Abbreviated Journal Chem Eng J  
  Volume 405 Issue Pages 126618  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA); Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT); Applied Electrochemistry & Catalysis (ELCAT)  
  Abstract DBD plasma reactors are commonly used in a static ‘one inlet – one outlet’ design that goes against reactor design principles for multi-component reactions, such as dry reforming of methane (DRM). Therefore, in this paper we have developed a novel reactor design, and investigated how the shape and size of the reaction zone, as well as gradual gas addition, and the method of mixing CO2 and CH4 can influence the conversion and product com­ position of DRM. Even in the standard ‘one inlet – one outlet’ design, the direction of the gas flow (i.e. short or long path through the reactor, which defines the gas velocity at fixed residence time), as well as the dimensions of the reaction zone and the power delivery to the reactor, largely affect the performance. Using gradual gas addition and separate plasma activation zones for the individual gases give increased conversions within the same operational parameters, by optimising mixing ratios and kinetics. The choice of the main (pre-activated) gas and the direction of gas flow largely affect the conversion and energy cost, while the gas inlet position during separate addition only influences the product distribution.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000626511800005 Publication Date 2020-08-12  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1385-8947 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 6.216 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Interreg; Flanders; FWO; University of Antwerp; The authors acknowledge financial support from the European Fund for Regional Development through the cross-border collaborative Interreg V program Flanders-the Netherlands (project EnOp), the Fund 13 for Scientific Research (FWO; grant number: G.0254.14N), and an IOFSBO (SynCO2Chem) project from the University of Antwerp. Approved Most recent IF: 6.216  
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:170609 Serial 6410  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Uytdenhouwen, Y.; Van Alphen, S.; Michielsen, I.; Meynen, V.; Cool, P.; Bogaerts, A. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title A packed-bed DBD micro plasma reactor for CO 2 dissociation: Does size matter? Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2018 Publication Chemical engineering journal Abbreviated Journal Chem Eng J  
  Volume 348 Issue Pages 557-568  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA); Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract DBD plasma reactors are of great interest for environmental and energy applications, such as CO2 conversion, but they suffer from limited conversion and especially energy efficiency. The introduction of packing materials has been a popular subject of investigation in order to increase the reactor performance. Reducing the discharge gap of the reactor below one millimetre can enhance the plasma performance as well. In this work, we combine both effects and use a packed-bed DBD micro plasma reactor to investigate the influence of gap size reduction, in combination with a packing material, on the conversion and efficiency of CO2 dissociation. Packing materials used in this work were SiO2, ZrO2, and Al2O3 spheres as well as glass wool. The results are compared to a regular size reactor as a benchmark. Reducing the discharge gap can greatly increase the CO2 conversion, although at a lower energy efficiency. Adding a packing material further increases the conversion when keeping a constant residence time, but is greatly dependent on the material composition, gap and sphere size used. Maximum conversions of 50–55% are obtained for very long residence times (30 s and higher) in an empty reactor or with certain packing material combinations, suggesting a balance in CO2 dissociation and recombination reactions. The maximum energy efficiency achieved is 4.3%, but this is for the regular sized reactor at a short residence time (7.5 s). Electrical characterization is performed to reveal some trends in the electrical behaviour of the plasma upon reduction of the discharge gap and addition of a packing material.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000434467000055 Publication Date 2018-05-03  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1385-8947 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 6.216 Times cited 22 Open Access Not_Open_Access: Available from 03.05.2020  
  Notes We acknowledge financial support from the European Fund for Regional Development through the cross-border collaborative Interreg V program Flanders-the Netherlands (project EnOp), the Fund for Scientific Research (FWO; Grant Number: G.0254.14N) and an IOF-SBO (SynCO2Chem) project from the University of Antwerp. Approved Most recent IF: 6.216  
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:151238 Serial 4956  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Van Alphen, S.; Ahmadi Eshtehardi, H.; O'Modhrain, C.; Bogaerts, J.; Van Poyer, H.; Creel, J.; Delplancke, M.-P.; Snyders, R.; Bogaerts, A. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Effusion nozzle for energy-efficient NOx production in a rotating gliding arc plasma reactor Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication Chemical Engineering Journal Abbreviated Journal Chem Eng J  
  Volume 443 Issue Pages 136529  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract Plasma-based NOx production is of interest for sustainable N2 fixation, but more research is needed to improve its performance. One of the current limitations is recombination of NO back into N2 and O2 molecules immediately after the plasma reactor. Therefore, we developed a novel so-called “effusion nozzle”, to improve the perfor­mance of a rotating gliding arc plasma reactor for NOx production, but the same principle can also be applied to other plasma types. Experiments in a wide range of applied power, gas flow rates and N2/O2 ratios demonstrate an enhancement in NOx concentration by about 8%, and a reduction in energy cost by 22.5%. In absolute terms, we obtain NOx concentrations up to 5.9%, at an energy cost down to 2.1 MJ/mol, which are the best values reported to date in literature. In addition, we developed four complementary models to describe the gas flow, plasma temperature and plasma chemistry, aiming to reveal why the effusion nozzle yields better performance. Our simulations reveal that the effusion nozzle acts as very efficient heat sink, causing a fast drop in gas tem­perature when the gas molecules leave the plasma, hence limiting the recombination of NO back into N2 and O2. This yields an overall higher NOx concentration than without the effusion nozzle. This immediate quenching right at the end of the plasma makes our effusion nozzle superior to more conventional cooling options, like water cooling In addition, this higher NOx concentration can be obtained at a slightly lower power, because the effusion nozzle allows for the ignition and sustainment of the plasma at somewhat lower power. Hence, this also explains the lower energy cost. Overall, our experimental results and detailed modeling analysis will be useful to improve plasma-based NOx production in other plasma reactors as well.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000800010600003 Publication Date 0000-00-00  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1385-8947 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 15.1 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes This research was supported by the Excellence of Science FWO-FNRS project (FWO grant ID GoF9618n, EOS ID 30505023), the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No 810182 – SCOPE ERC Synergy project), and through long-term structural funding (Methusalem). The calculations were performed using the Turing HPC infrastructure at the CalcUA core facility of the Universiteit Antwerpen (UAntwerpen), a division of the Flemish Supercomputer Center VSC, funded by the Hercules Foundation, the Flemish Government (depart­ment EWI) and the UAntwerpen. Approved Most recent IF: 15.1  
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:188283 Serial 7057  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Van Alphen, S.; Hecimovic, A.; Kiefer, C.K.; Fantz, U.; Snyders, R.; Bogaerts, A. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Modelling post-plasma quenching nozzles for improving the performance of CO2 microwave plasmas Type A1 Journal Article
  Year 2023 Publication Chemical engineering journal Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 462 Issue Pages 142217  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract Given the ecological problems associated to the CO2 emissions of fossil fuels, plasma technology has gained

interest for conversion of CO2 into value-added products. Microwave plasmas operating at atmospheric pressure

have proven to be especially interesting, due to the high gas temperatures inside the reactor (i.e. up to 6000 K)

allowing for efficient thermal dissociation of CO2 into CO and O2. However, the performance of these high

temperature plasmas is limited by recombination of CO back into CO2 once the gas cools down in the afterglow.

In this work, we computationally investigated several quenching nozzles, developed and experimentally tested

by Hecimovic et al., [1] for their ability to quickly cool the gas after the plasma, thereby quenching the CO

recombination reactions. Using a 3D computational fluid dynamics model and a quasi-1D chemical kinetics

model, we reveal that a reactor without nozzle lacks gas mixing between hot gas in the center and cold gas near

the reactor walls. Especially at low flow rates, where there is an inherent lack of convective cooling due to the

low gas flow velocity, the temperature in the afterglow remains high (between 2000 and 3000 K) for a relatively

long time (in the 0.1 s range). As shown by our quasi-1D chemical kinetics model, this results in a important loss

of CO due to recombination reactions. Attaching a nozzle in the effluent of the reactor induces fast gas quenching

right after the plasma. Indeed, it introduces (i) more convective cooling by forcing cool gas near the walls to mix

with hot gas in the center of the reactor, as well as (ii) more conductive cooling through the water-cooled walls of

the nozzle. Our model shows that gas quenching and the suppression of recombination reactions have more

impact at low flow rates, where recombination is the most limiting factor in the conversion process.
 
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000962382600001 Publication Date 2023-03-03  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1385-8947 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 15.1 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes This research was supported by the Excellence of Science FWO-FNRS project (FWO grant ID GoF9618n, EOS ID 30505023), the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No 810182 – SCOPE ERC Synergy project), and through long-term structural funding (Methusalem). The calculations were performed using the Turing HPC infrastructure at the CalcUA core facility of the Universiteit Antwerpen (UAntwerpen), a division of the Flemish Supercomputer Center VSC, funded by the Hercules Foundation, the Flemish Government (department EWI) and the UAntwerpen. Approved Most recent IF: 15.1; 2023 IF: 6.216  
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:195889 Serial 7250  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Van Alphen, S.; Hecimovic, A.; Kiefer, C.K.; Fantz, U.; Snyders, R.; Bogaerts, A. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Modelling post-plasma quenching nozzles for improving the performance of CO2 microwave plasmas Type A1 Journal Article
  Year 2023 Publication Chemical engineering journal Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 462 Issue Pages 142217  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract Given the ecological problems associated to the CO2 emissions of fossil fuels, plasma technology has gained

interest for conversion of CO2 into value-added products. Microwave plasmas operating at atmospheric pressure

have proven to be especially interesting, due to the high gas temperatures inside the reactor (i.e. up to 6000 K)

allowing for efficient thermal dissociation of CO2 into CO and O2. However, the performance of these high

temperature plasmas is limited by recombination of CO back into CO2 once the gas cools down in the afterglow.

In this work, we computationally investigated several quenching nozzles, developed and experimentally tested

by Hecimovic et al., [1] for their ability to quickly cool the gas after the plasma, thereby quenching the CO

recombination reactions. Using a 3D computational fluid dynamics model and a quasi-1D chemical kinetics

model, we reveal that a reactor without nozzle lacks gas mixing between hot gas in the center and cold gas near

the reactor walls. Especially at low flow rates, where there is an inherent lack of convective cooling due to the

low gas flow velocity, the temperature in the afterglow remains high (between 2000 and 3000 K) for a relatively

long time (in the 0.1 s range). As shown by our quasi-1D chemical kinetics model, this results in a important loss

of CO due to recombination reactions. Attaching a nozzle in the effluent of the reactor induces fast gas quenching

right after the plasma. Indeed, it introduces (i) more convective cooling by forcing cool gas near the walls to mix

with hot gas in the center of the reactor, as well as (ii) more conductive cooling through the water-cooled walls of

the nozzle. Our model shows that gas quenching and the suppression of recombination reactions have more

impact at low flow rates, where recombination is the most limiting factor in the conversion process.
 
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000962382600001 Publication Date 2023-03-03  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1385-8947 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 15.1 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes This research was supported by the Excellence of Science FWO-FNRS project (FWO grant ID GoF9618n, EOS ID 30505023), the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No 810182 – SCOPE ERC Synergy project), and through long-term structural funding (Methusalem). The calculations were performed using the Turing HPC infrastructure at the CalcUA core facility of the Universiteit Antwerpen (UAntwerpen), a division of the Flemish Supercomputer Center VSC, funded by the Hercules Foundation, the Flemish Government (department EWI) and the UAntwerpen. Approved Most recent IF: 15.1; 2023 IF: 6.216  
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:195889 Serial 7259  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Van Hal, M.; Verbruggen, S.W.; Yang, X.-Y.; Lenaerts, S.; Tytgat, T. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Image analysis and in situ FTIR as complementary detection tools for photocatalytic soot oxidation Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2019 Publication Chemical engineering journal Abbreviated Journal Chem Eng J  
  Volume 367 Issue 367 Pages 269-277  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Air pollution, especially particulate matter (PM), is an increasingly urgent problem in urban environments, causing both short and long-term health problems, climate interference and aesthetical problems due to building fouling. Photocatalysis has been shown to be a possible solution to that end. In this work two complementary detection methods for photocatalytic soot oxidation are studied and their advantages and disadvantages are discussed. First, a colour-based digital image analysis method is drastically improved towards an accurate, detailed and straightforward detection tool, that enables simultaneous measurement of the degradation of different grades of soot fouling (for instance a shallow soot haze versus condensed soot deposits). In the next part, a second soot oxidation detection method is presented based on in situ FTIR spectroscopy. This method has the additional advantage of providing more insight into the photocatalytic soot degradation process by monitoring both gaseous and adsorbed intermediates as well as reaction products while the reactions are ongoing. As an illustration, the proposed detection strategies were applied on four different commercially available and synthesized photocatalytic materials. The digital image analysis showed that P25 (Evonik) is the fastest photocatalytic soot degrader of all studied materials for both a uniform soot haze as well as concentrated soot spots. Application of the in situ method showed that for all studied materials adsorbed formate-related surface species were formed and that commercially available ZnO nanopowder has the highest specificity towards complete mineralization into CO2. With this we aim to provide a set of complementary experimental tools for the convenient, reliable, realistic and standardised detection of photocatalytic soot degradation.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000461380400028 Publication Date 2019-02-23  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1385-8947; 1873-3212 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 6.216 Times cited 1 Open Access  
  Notes ; M.V.H. acknowledges the Research Foundation-Flanders (FWO) for a doctoral fellowship. M.V.H., S.W.V., S.L. and X-Y.Y. thank the FWO and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) for funding an international collaboration project. Mr. M. Minjauw is greatly thanked for his help in the AFM measurements. ; Approved Most recent IF: 6.216  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:157789 Serial 5958  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) van Walsem, J.; Roegiers, J.; Modde, B.; Lenaerts, S.; Denys, S. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Determination of intrinsic kinetic parameters in photocatalytic multi-tube reactors by combining the NTUm-method with radiation field modelling Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2018 Publication Chemical engineering journal Abbreviated Journal Chem Eng J  
  Volume 354 Issue 354 Pages 1042-1049  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract In this work, we propose an adapted Number of Transfer Units (NTUm)-method as an effective tool to determine the Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetic parameters for a photocatalytic multi-tube reactor. The Langmuir-Hinshelwood rate constant kLH and the Langmuir adsorption constant KL were determined from several experiments under different UV-irradiance conditions, resulting in irradiance depending values for kLH. In order to determine a unique, intrinsic empirical constant k0, valid for all irradiation conditions, we coupled the adapted NTUm-method with a radiation field model to predict UV-irradiance distribution inside the reactor. The final set of kinetic parameters were derived using a Generalized Reduced Gradient (GRG) nonlinear solving method in Matlab which minimizes the differences between model and experimental reactor outlet concentrations of acetaldehyde for various photocatalytic experiments under varying operating conditions, including inlet concentration, flow rate and UV-irradiance. An excellent agreement of the intrinsic empirical constant k0, derived from the coupled NTUm-radiation field model and an earlier published CFD approach was found, emphasizing its validity and reliability.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000445413900099 Publication Date 2018-08-03  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1385-8947; 1873-3212 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 6.216 Times cited 2 Open Access  
  Notes ; J.V.W. acknowledges the Agentschap Innoveren & Ondernemen for a PhD fellowship. ; Approved Most recent IF: 6.216  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:154845 Serial 5940  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) van Walsem, J.; Roegiers, J.; Modde, B.; Lenaerts, S.; Denys, S. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Proof of concept of an upscaled photocatalytic multi-tube reactor : a combined modelling and experimental study Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2019 Publication Chemical engineering journal Abbreviated Journal Chem Eng J  
  Volume 378 Issue 378 Pages 122038  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Three upscaled multi-tube photocatalytic reactors designed for integration into HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) systems were proposed and evaluated using a CFD modelling approach, with emphasis on the flow, irradiation and concentration distribution in the reactor and hence, photocatalytic performance. Based on the obtained insights, the best reactor design was selected, further characterized and improved by an additional proof of concept study and eventually converted into practice. Subsequently, the scaled-up prototype was experimentally tested according to the CEN-EN-16846-1 standard (2017) for volatile organic compound (VOC) removal by an external scientific research center. The combined modelling and experimental approach used in this work, leads to essential insights into the design and assessment of photocatalytic reactors. Therefore, this study provides an essential step towards the optimization and commercialization of photocatalytic reactors for HVAC applications.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000487764800011 Publication Date 2019-06-22  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1385-8947; 1873-3212 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 6.216 Times cited Open Access  
  Notes ; J.V.W. acknowledges the Agentschap Innoveren & Ondernemen for a PhD fellowship. ; Approved Most recent IF: 6.216  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:162190 Serial 5986  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) van Walsem, J.; Verbruggen, S.W.; Modde, B.; Lenaerts, S.; Denys, S. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title CFD investigation of a multi-tube photocatalytic reactor in non-steady-state conditions Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2016 Publication Chemical engineering journal Abbreviated Journal Chem Eng J  
  Volume 304 Issue Pages 808-816  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract A novel multi-tube photoreactor is presented with a high efficiency (over 90% conversion) toward the degradation of acetaldehyde in air under UV conditions with an incident intensity of 2.1 mW cm−2. A CFD model was developed to simulate the transient adsorption and photocatalytic degradation processes of acetaldehyde in this reactor design and to estimate the corresponding kinetic parameters through an optimization routine using the experimentally determined outlet concentration profiles. The CFD model takes into account the entire reactor geometry and all relevant flow parameters, in contrast to analytical methods that often oversimplify the physical and chemical process characteristics. Using CFD, we show that both adsorption and desorption rate constants increase by respectively one and two orders of magnitude when the UV light is switched on, which clearly affects the transient behavior. The agreement of the experimental and modelled concentration profiles is excellent as evidenced by a coefficient of determination of at least 0.965. To demonstrate the reliability and accuracy of all parameters obtained from the modelling approach, an ultimate validation test was performed using other conditions than the ones used for estimating the kinetic parameters. The model was able to accurately simulate simultaneous adsorption, desorption and photocatalytic degradation.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000384777200089 Publication Date 2016-07-08  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1385-8947; 1873-3212 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 6.216 Times cited 10 Open Access  
  Notes ; J.V.W. acknowledges the Agentschap Innoveren & Ondernemen for a PhD fellowship. S.W.V. acknowledges the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO) for a postdoctoral fellowship. ; Approved Most recent IF: 6.216  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:139620 Serial 5933  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Verbruggen, S.W.; Keulemans, M.; van Walsem, J.; Tytgat, T.; Lenaerts, S.; Denys, S. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title CFD modeling of transient adsorption/desorption behavior in a gas phase photocatalytic fiber reactor Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2016 Publication Chemical engineering journal Abbreviated Journal Chem Eng J  
  Volume 292 Issue Pages 42-50  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract We present the use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) for accurately determining the adsorption parameters of acetaldehyde on photocatalytic fiber filter material, integrated in a continuous flow system. Unlike the traditional analytical analysis based on Langmuir adsorption, not only steady-state situations but also transient phenomena can be accounted for. Air displacement effects in the reactor and gas detection cell are investigated and inherently made part of the model. Incorporation of a surface aldol condensation reaction in the CFD analysis further improves the accuracy of the model which enables to extract precise, intrinsic adsorption parameters for situations in which analytical analysis would otherwise fail.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000373648000005 Publication Date 2016-02-09  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1385-8947; 1873-3212 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 6.216 Times cited 12 Open Access  
  Notes ; S.W.V. acknowledges the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO) for a postdoctoral fellowship. M.K. acknowledges the IWT for a Ph.D. fellowship. Konstantina Kalafata and Ioanna Fasaki are greatly thanked for providing the NanoPhos suspension. Bioscience Engineering bachelor students M. Gerritsma, J. Helsen and Y. Riahi Drif are thanked for their assistance in performing the adsorption experiments. ; Approved Most recent IF: 6.216  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:130876 Serial 5934  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Verbruggen, S.W.; Lenaerts, S.; Denys, S. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Analytic versus CFD approach for kinetic modeling of gas phase photocatalysis Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2015 Publication Chemical engineering journal Abbreviated Journal Chem Eng J  
  Volume 262 Issue Pages 1-8  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract In this work two methods for determining the LangmuirHinshelwood kinetic parameters for a slit-shaped flat bed photocatalytic reactor are compared: an analytic mass transfer based model adapted from literature and a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach that was used in conjunction with a simplex optimization routine. Despite the differences between both approaches, similar values for the kinetic parameters and similar trends in terms of their UV intensity dependence were found. Using an effectiveness-NTU (number of transfer units) approach, the analytic mass transfer based method could quantify the relative contributions of the rate limiting steps through a reaction effectiveness parameter. The numeric CFD approach on the other hand could yield the two kinetic parameters that determine the photocatalytic reaction rate simultaneously. Furthermore, it proved to be more accurate as it accounts for the spatial variation of flow rate, reaction rate and concentrations at the surface of the photocatalyst. We elaborate this dual kinetic analysis with regard to the photocatalytic degradation of acetaldehyde in air over a silicon wafer coated with a layer of TiO2 P25 (Evonik) and study the usefulness and limitations of both strategies.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000347577700001 Publication Date 2014-09-28  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1385-8947; 1873-3212 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 6.216 Times cited 30 Open Access  
  Notes ; S.W.V. acknowledges the Research Foundation of Flanders (FWO) for financial support. ; Approved Most recent IF: 6.216; 2015 IF: 4.321  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:119724 Serial 5927  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Verbruggen, S.W.; Ribbens, S.; Tytgat, T.; Hauchecorne, B.; Smits, M.; Meynen, V.; Cool, P.; Martens, J.A.; Lenaerts, S. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title The benefit of glass bead supports for efficient gas phase photocatalysis : case study of a commercial and a synthesised photocatalyst Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2011 Publication Chemical engineering journal Abbreviated Journal Chem Eng J  
  Volume 174 Issue 1 Pages 318-325  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract In the field of photocatalytic air purification, the immobilisation of catalyst particles on support surfaces without loss of photon efficiency is an important challenge. Therefore, an immobilisation method involving a one-step suspension coating of pre-synthesised photocatalysts on glass beads was applied. The various benefits are exemplified in the gas phase photodegradation of ethylene. Coating of glass beads is easy, fast, cheap and offers a more efficient alternative to bulk catalyst pellets. Furthermore, this coating procedure allows to use porous, pre-synthesised catalysts to their full potential, as the surface area and morphology of the initial powder is barely altered after coating, in strong contrast to pelletising. With this technique it became possible to study the gas phase photocatalytic activity of commercial titanium dioxide, trititanate nanotubes and mixed phase anatase/trititanate nanotubes in a packed bed reactor towards the degradation of ethylene without changing the catalyst properties. Coating of glass beads with the photocatalyst revealed the superior activity of the as-prepared nanotubes, compared to TiO2 Aerolyst® 7710 in gaseous phase.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000296950300041 Publication Date 2011-09-17  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1385-8947; 1873-3212 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 6.216 Times cited 39 Open Access  
  Notes ; The author wishes to acknowledge the Research Foundation of Flanders (FWO) for the financial support. Evonik is greatly thanked for supplying the TiO<INF>2</ INF> Aerolyst (R) 7710 pellets. ; Approved Most recent IF: 6.216; 2011 IF: 3.461  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:93364 Serial 5929  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Vingerhoets, R.; Brienza, C.; Sigurnjak, I.; Buysse, J.; Vlaeminck, S.E.; Spiller, M.; Meers, E. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Ammonia stripping and scrubbing followed by nitrification and denitrification saves costs for manure treatment based on a calibrated model approach Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication Chemical engineering journal Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 477 Issue Pages 146984-14  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Resource-efficient nitrogen management is of high environmental and economic interest, and manure represents the major nutrient flow in livestock-intensive regions. Ammonia stripping/scrubbing (SS) is an appealing nitrogen recovery route from manure, yet its real-life implementation has been limited thus far. In nutrient surplus regions like Flanders, treatment of the liquid fraction (LF) of (co–)digested manure typically consists of nitrification/denitrification (NDN) removing most N as nitrogen gas. Integrating SS before NDN in existing plants would expand treatment capacity and recover N while maintaining low N effluent values, yet cost estimations of this novel approach after process optimisation are not yet available. A programming model was developed and calibrated to minimise the treatment costs of this approach and find the balance between N recovery versus N removal. Four crucial operational parameters (CO2 stripping time, NH3 stripping time, temperature and NaOH addition) were optimised for 18 scenarios which were different in terms of technical set-up, influent characteristics and scrubber acid. The model shows that SS before NDN can decrease the costs by 1 to 56% under optimal conditions compared to treatment with NDN only, with 1 to 8% reduction for the LF of manure (22–29% recovered of N treated), and 11 to 56% reduction for the LF of co-digested manure (42–67% recovered of N treated), primarily dependent on resource pricing. This study shows the power of modelling for minimum-cost design and operation of manure treatment yielding savings while producing useful N recovery products with SS followed by NDN.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 001108935900001 Publication Date 2023-10-28  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1385-8947; 1873-3212 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:200649 Serial 9003  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Wang, J.; Zhang, K.; Bogaerts, A.; Meynen, V. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title 3D porous catalysts for plasma-catalytic dry reforming of methane : how does the pore size affect the plasma-catalytic performance? Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication Chemical engineering journal Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 464 Issue Pages 142574-12  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA); Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract The effect of pore size on plasma catalysis is crucial but still unclear. Studies have shown plasma cannot enter micropores and mesopores, so catalysts for traditional thermocatalysis may not fit plasma catalysis. Here, 3D porous Cu and CuO with different pore sizes were prepared using uniform silica particles (10–2000 nm) as templates, and compared in plasma-catalytic dry reforming. In most cases, the smaller the pore size, the higher the conversion of CH4 and CO2. Large pores reachable by more electrons did not improve the reaction efficiency. We attribute this to the small surface area and large crystallite size, as indicated by N2-sorption, mercury intrusion and XRD. While the smaller pores might not be reachable by electrons, due to the sheath formed in front of them, as predicted by modeling, they can still be reached by radicals formed in the plasma, and ions can even be attracted into these pores. An exception are the samples synthesized from 1 μm silica, which show better performance. We believe this is due to the electric field enhancement for pore sizes close to the Debye length. The performances of CuO and Cu with different pore sizes can provide references for future research on oxide supports and metal components of plasma catalysts.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000966076400001 Publication Date 2023-03-21  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1385-8947; 1873-3212 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 15.1 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 15.1; 2023 IF: 6.216  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:194862 Serial 7262  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Wang, J.; Zhang, K.; Meynen, V.; Bogaerts, A. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Dry reforming in a dielectric barrier discharge reactor with non-uniform discharge gap : effects of metal rings on the discharge behavior and performance Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication Chemical engineering journal Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages 142953-29  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA); Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract The application of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma reactors is promising in various environmental and energy processes, but is limited by their low energy yield. In this study, we put a number of stainless steel rings over the inner electrode rod of the DBD reactor to change the local discharge gap and electric field, and we studied the dry reforming performance. At 50 W supplied power, the metal rings mostly have a negative impact on the performance, which we attribute to the non-uniform spatial distribution of the discharges caused by the rings. However, at 30 W supplied power, the energy yield is higher than at 50 W and the placement of the rings improves the performance of the reactor. More rings and with a larger cross-sectional diameter can further improve the performance. The reactor with 20 rings with a 3.2 mm cross-sectional diameter exhibits the best performance in this study. Compared to the reactor without rings, it increases the CO2 conversion from 7% to 16 %, the CH4 conversion from 12% to 23%, and the energy yield from 0.05 mmol/kJ supplied power to 0.1 mmol/kJ (0.19 mmol/kJ if calculated from the plasma power), respectively. The presence of the rings increases the local electric field, the displaced charge and the discharge fraction, and also makes the discharge more stable and with more uniform intensity. It also slightly improves the selectivity to syngas. The performance improvement observed by placing stainless steel rings in this study may also be applicable to other plasma-based processes.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000986051300001 Publication Date 2023-04-17  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1385-8947; 1873-3212 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 15.1 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 15.1; 2023 IF: 6.216  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:195603 Serial 7264  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Wang, K.; Ceulemans, S.; Zhang, H.; Tsonev, I.; Zhang, Y.; Long, Y.; Fang, M.; Li, X.; Yan, J.; Bogaerts, A. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Inhibiting recombination to improve the performance of plasma-based CO2 conversion Type A1 Journal Article
  Year 2024 Publication Chemical Engineering Journal Abbreviated Journal Chemical Engineering Journal  
  Volume 481 Issue Pages 148684  
  Keywords A1 Journal Article; Plasma-based CO2 splitting Recombination reactions In-situ gas sampling Fluid dynamics modeling Kinetics modeling Afterglow quenching; Plasma, laser ablation and surface modeling Antwerp (PLASMANT) ;  
  Abstract Warm plasma offers a promising route for CO2 splitting into valuable CO, yet recombination reactions of CO with oxygen, forming again CO2, have recently emerged as critical limitation. This study combines experiments and fluid dynamics + chemical kinetics modelling to comprehensively analyse the recombination reactions upon CO2 splitting in an atmospheric plasmatron. We introduce an innovative in-situ gas sampling technique, enabling 2D spatial mapping of gas product compositions and temperatures, experimentally confirming for the first time the substantial limiting effect of CO recombination reactions in the afterglow region. Our results show that the CO mole fraction at a 5 L/min flow rate drops significantly from 11.9 % at a vertical distance of z = 20 mm in the afterglow region to 8.6 % at z = 40 mm. We constructed a comprehensive 2D model that allows for spatial reaction rates analysis incorporating crucial reactions, and we validated it to kinetically elucidate this phenomenon. CO2 +M⇌O+CO+M and CO2 +O⇌CO+O2 are the dominant reactions, with the forward reactions prevailing in the plasma region and the backward reactions becoming prominent in the afterglow region. These results allow us to propose an afterglow quenching strategy for performance enhancement, which is further demonstrated through a meticulously developed plasmatron reactor with two-stage cooling. Our approach substantially increases the CO2 conversion (e.g., from 6.6 % to 19.5 % at 3 L/min flow rate) and energy efficiency (from 13.5 % to 28.5 %, again at 3 L/min) and significantly shortens the startup time (from ~ 150 s to 25 s). Our study underscores the critical role of inhibiting recombination reactions in plasma-based CO2 conversion and offers new avenues for performance enhancement.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos Publication Date 2024-01-10  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1385-8947 ISBN Additional Links  
  Impact Factor 15.1 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access  
  Notes Key Research and Development Program of Zhejiang Province, 2023C03129 ; Vlaamse regering; European Research Council; National Natural Science Foundation of China, 51976191 52276214 ; Horizon 2020 Framework Programme; Fonds De La Recherche Scientifique – FNRS; Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, 1101524N ; Vlaams Supercomputer Centrum; Horizon 2020, 101081162 810182 ; European Research Council; Approved Most recent IF: 15.1; 2024 IF: 6.216  
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @ Serial 8993  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Wang, W.; Kim, H.-H.; Van Laer, K.; Bogaerts, A. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Streamer propagation in a packed bed plasma reactor for plasma catalysis applications Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2018 Publication Chemical engineering journal Abbreviated Journal Chem Eng J  
  Volume 334 Issue Pages 2467-2479  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract A packed bed dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) is widely used for plasma catalysis applications, but the exact plasma characteristics in between the packing beads are far from understood. Therefore, we study here these plasma characteristics by means of fluid modelling and experimental observations using ICCD imaging, for packing materials with different dielectric constants. Our study reveals that a packed bed DBD reactor in dry air at atmospheric pressure may show three types of discharges, i.e. positive restrikes, filamentary microdischarges, which can also be localized between two packing beads, and surface discharges (so-called surface ionization

waves). Restrikes between the dielectric surfaces result in the formation of filamentary microdischarges, while surface charging creates electric field components parallel to the dielectric surfaces, leading to the formation of surface discharges. A transition in discharge mode occurs from surface discharges to local filamentary discharges between the packing beads when the dielectric constant of the packing rises from 5 to 1000. This may have implications for the efficiency of plasma catalytic gas treatment, because the catalyst activation may be limited by constraining the discharge to the contact points of the beads. The production of reactive species occurs most in the positive restrikes, the surface discharges and the local microdischarges in between the beads, and is less significant in the longer filamentary microdischarges. The faster streamer propagation and discharge development with higher dielectric constant of the packing beads leads to a faster production of reactive species. This study is of great interest for plasma catalysis, where packing beads with different dielectric constants are often used as supports for the catalytic materials. It allows us to better understand how different packing materials can influence the performance of packed bed plasma reactors for environmental applications.
 
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000418533400246 Publication Date 2017-11-23  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1385-8947 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 6.216 Times cited 36 Open Access Not_Open_Access: Available from 10.01.2020  
  Notes We acknowledge financial support from the Fund for Scientific Research Flanders (FWO) (grant nos G.0217.14 N, G.0254.14 N and G.0383.16 N), the TOP-BOF project of the University of Antwerp, the European Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship “GlidArc” within Horizon2020 (Grant No. 657304) and the Institute for the Promotion of Innovation by Science and Technology in Flanders (IWT Flanders). This research was carried out in the framework of the network on Physical Chemistry of Plasma-Surface Interactions – Interuniversity Attraction Poles, phase VII (http://psi-iap7.ulb.ac.be/), and supported by the Belgian Science Policy Office (BELSPO). The calculations were carried out using the Turing HPC infrastructure at the CalcUA core facility of the Universiteit Antwerpen (UAntwerpen), a division of the Flemish Supercomputer Center VSC, funded by the Hercules Foundation, the Flemish Government (department EWI) and the UAntwerpen. Approved Most recent IF: 6.216  
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:147864 Serial 4800  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Wang, W.; Mei, D.; Tu, X.; Bogaerts, A. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Gliding arc plasma for CO 2 conversion: Better insights by a combined experimental and modelling approach Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2017 Publication Chemical engineering journal Abbreviated Journal Chem Eng J  
  Volume 330 Issue Pages 11-25  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract A gliding arc plasma is a potential way to convert CO2 into CO and O2, due to its non-equilibrium character, but little is known about the underlying mechanisms. In this paper, a self-consistent two-dimensional (2D) gliding arc model is developed, with a detailed non-equilibrium CO2 plasma chemistry, and validated with experiments. Our calculated values of the electron number density in the plasma, the CO2 conversion and energy efficiency show reasonable agreement with the experiments, indicating that the model can provide a realistic picture of the plasma chemistry. Comparison of the results with classical thermal conversion, as well as other plasma-based technologies for CO2 conversion reported in literature, demonstrates the non-equilibrium character of the gliding arc, and indicates that the gliding arc is a promising plasma reactor for CO2 conversion. However, some process modifications should be exploited to further improve its performance. As the model provides a realistic picture of the plasma behaviour, we use it first to investigate the plasma characteristics in a whole gliding arc cycle, which is necessary to understand the underlying mechanisms. Subsequently, we perform a chemical kinetics analysis, to investigate the different pathways for CO2 loss and formation. Based on the revealed discharge properties and the underlying CO2 plasma chemistry, the model allows us to propose solutions on how to further improve the

CO2 conversion and energy efficiency by a gliding arc plasma.
 
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000414083300002 Publication Date 2017-07-22  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1385-8947 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 6.216 Times cited 38 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes This research was supported by the European Marie Skłodowska- Curie Individual Fellowship “GlidArc” within Horizon 2020 (Grant No. 657304) and by the FWO project (grant G.0383.16N). The support of this experimental work by the EPSRC CO2Chem Seedcorn Grant and the FWO travel grant for study abroad (Grant K2.128.17N) is gratefully acknowledged. The calculations were performed using the Turing HPC infrastructure at the CalcUA core facility of the Universiteit Antwerpen (UAntwerpen), a division of the Flemish Supercomputer Center VSC, funded by the Hercules Foundation, the Flemish Government (department EWI) and the UAntwerpen. Approved Most recent IF: 6.216  
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:145033 Serial 4636  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Wang, Y.; Chen, Y.; Harding, J.; He, H.; Bogaerts, A.; Tu, X. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Catalyst-free single-step plasma reforming of CH4 and CO2 to higher value oxygenates under ambient conditions Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication Chemical Engineering Journal Abbreviated Journal Chem Eng J  
  Volume 450 Issue Pages 137860  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract Direct conversion of CH4 and CO2 to liquid fuels and chemicals under mild conditions is appealing for biogas conversion and utilization but challenging due to the inert nature of both gases. Herein, we report a promising plasma process for the catalyst-free single-step conversion of CH4 and CO2 into higher value oxygenates (i.e., methanol, acetic acid, ethanol, and acetone) at ambient pressure and room temperature using a water-cooled dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor, with methanol being the main liquid product. The distribution of liquid products could be tailored by tuning the discharge power, reaction temperature and residence time. Lower discharge powers (10–15 W) and reaction temperatures (5–20 ◦ C) were favourable for the production of liquid products, achieving the highest methanol selectivity of 43% at 5 ◦ C and 15 W. A higher discharge power and reaction temperature, on the other hand, produced more gaseous products, particularly H2 (up to 26% selec­tivity) and CO (up to 33% selectivity). In addition, varying these process parameters (discharge power, reaction temperature and residence time) resulted in a simultaneous change in key discharge properties, such as mean electron energy (Ee), electron density (ne) and specific energy input (SEI), all of which are essential determiners of plasma chemical reactions. According to the results of artificial neural network (ANN) models, the relative importance of these process parameters and key discharge indicators on reaction performance follows the order: discharge power > reaction temperature > residence time, and SEI > ne > Ee, respectively. This work provides new insights into the contributions and tuning mechanism of multiple parameters for optimizing the reaction performance (e.g., liquid production) in the plasma gas conversion process.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000830813300004 Publication Date 0000-00-00  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1385-8947 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 15.1 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes This project received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie SklodowskaCurie grant agreement No. 813393. Approved Most recent IF: 15.1  
  Call Number PLASMANT @ plasmant @c:irua:189502 Serial 7100  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Zhang, H.; Wang, W.; Li, X.; Han, L.; Yan, M.; Zhong, Y.; Tu, X. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Plasma activation of methane for hydrogen production in a N2 rotating gliding arc warm plasma : a chemical kinetics study Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2018 Publication Chemical engineering journal Abbreviated Journal Chem Eng J  
  Volume 345 Issue 345 Pages 67-78  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract In this work, a chemical kinetics study on methane activation for hydrogen production in a warm plasma, i.e., N-2 rotating gliding arc (RGA), was performed for the first time to get new insights into the underlying reaction mechanisms and pathways. A zero-dimensional chemical kinetics model was developed, which showed a good agreement with the experimental results in terms of the conversion of CH4 and product selectivities, allowing us to get a better understanding of the relative significance of various important species and their related reactions to the formation and loss of CH4, H-2, and C2H2 etc. An overall reaction scheme was obtained to provide a realistic picture of the plasma chemistry. The results reveal that the electrons and excited nitrogen species (mainly N-2(A)) play a dominant role in the initial dissociation of CH4. However, the H atom induced reaction CH4+ H -> CH3+ H-2, which has an enhanced reaction rate due to the high gas temperature (over 1200 K), is the major contributor to both the conversion of CH4 and H-2 production, with its relative contributions of > 90% and > 85%, respectively, when only considering the forward reactions. The coexistence and interaction of thermochemical and plasma chemical processes in the rotating gliding arc warm plasma significantly enhance the process performance. The formation of C-2 hydrocarbons follows a nearly one-way path of C2H6 -> C2H4 -> C2H2, explaining why the selectivities of C-2 products decreased in the order of C2H2 > C2H4 > C2H6.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Elsevier Sequoia Place of Publication Lausanne Editor  
  Language Wos 000430696500008 Publication Date 2018-03-24  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1385-8947; 1873-3212 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 6.216 Times cited 25 Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 6.216  
  Call Number UA @ lucian @ c:irua:151450 Serial 5036  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Zhang, K.; Wang, J.; Ninakanti, R.; Verbruggen, S.W. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Solvothermal synthesis of mesoporous TiO2 with tunable surface area, crystal size and surface hydroxylation for efficient photocatalytic acetaldehyde degradation Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2023 Publication Chemical engineering journal Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 474 Issue Pages 145188-14  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Laboratory of adsorption and catalysis (LADCA); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract Photocatalytic acetaldehyde degradation exhibits satisfactory performance only at relatively low acetaldehyde flow rates, predominately below 10 × 10-3 mL/min, leaving ample room for improvement. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare more efficient photocatalysts for acetaldehyde degradation. Moreover, the impact of the interaction strength between the titania surface and surface water on the photocatalytic acetaldehyde efficiency is poorly understood. To address these issues, in this work a series of (0 0 1)-faceted anatase titania samples with various surface properties and structures were synthesized via a solvothermal method and tested at high acetaldehyde flow rates under UV light irradiation. With increasing solvothermal time, the pore volume, surface area, and the abundance of surface OH groups all increased, while the crystallite size decreased. These were all identified to be beneficial to promote the degradation performance. When the solvothermal temperature was 180 ℃ and the reaction time was 5 h, the prepared sample displayed the most efficient performance at 19.25× 10-3 mL/min of acetaldehyde (conversion of (74 ± 1)% versus (29 ± 1)% for P25), and achieved a 100 % conversion at 16 × 10-3 mL/min. A weaker interaction strength between surface water and the titania surface was found to improve the acetaldehyde adsorption capacity, thereby promoting the acetaldehyde degradation efficiency. The stability of the best performing sample was tested over 48 h, demonstrating a highly stable performance with no signs of deactivation. Even at a relative humidity of 30 %, the acetaldehyde conversion retains 82% of its efficiency in a dry atmosphere, highlighting its potential in practical applications.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos Publication Date 2023-08-05  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1385-8947; 1873-3212 ISBN Additional Links UA library record  
  Impact Factor 15.1 Times cited Open Access Not_Open_Access: Available from 06.02.2024  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 15.1; 2023 IF: 6.216  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:198652 Serial 8933  
Permanent link to this record
 

 
Author (up) Zhou, R.; Zhou, R.; Xian, Y.; Fang, Z.; Lu, X.; Bazaka, K.; Bogaerts, A.; Ostrikov, K.(K.) pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Plasma-enabled catalyst-free conversion of ethanol to hydrogen gas and carbon dots near room temperature Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2020 Publication Chemical Engineering Journal Abbreviated Journal Chem Eng J  
  Volume 382 Issue 382 Pages 122745  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Plasma Lab for Applications in Sustainability and Medicine – Antwerp (PLASMANT)  
  Abstract Selective conversion of bio-renewable ethanol under mild conditions especially at room temperature remains a major challenge for sustainable production of hydrogen and valuable carbon-based materials. In this study, adaptive non-thermal plasma is applied to deliver pulsed energy to rapidly and selectively reform ethanol in the absence of a catalyst. Importantly, the carbon atoms in ethanol that would otherwise be released into the environment in the form of CO or CO2 are effectively captured in the form of carbon dots (CDs). Three modes of non-thermal spark plasma discharges, i.e. single spark mode (SSM), multiple spark mode (MSM) and gliding spark mode (GSM), provide additional flexibility in ethanol reforming by controlling the processes of energy transfer and distribution, thereby affecting the flow rate, gas content, and energy consumption in H-2 production. A favourable combination of low temperature (< 40 degrees C), attractive conversion rate (gas flow rate of similar to 120 mL/min), high hydrogen yield (H-2 content > 90%), low energy consumption (similar to 0.96 kWh/m(3) H-2) and the effective generation of photoluminescent CDs (which are applicable for bioimaging or biolabelling) in the MSM indicate that the proposed strategy may offer a new carbon-negative avenue for comprehensive utilization of alcohols and mitigating the increasingly severe energy and environmental issues.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000503381200200 Publication Date 2019-09-07  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1385-8947; 1873-3212 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 15.1 Times cited 20 Open Access  
  Notes ; ; Approved Most recent IF: 15.1; 2020 IF: 6.216  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:165648 Serial 6318  
Permanent link to this record
Select All    Deselect All
 |   | 
Details
   print

Save Citations:
Export Records: