Provided is a fuel-reforming device comprising: an ammonia tank (4); a reformer (5) for reforming ammonia and generating high-concentration hydrogen gas having a hydrogen content of at least 99%; a mixing tank (7) for mixing ammonia and hydrogen for temporary storage; and a control means (10) for controlling the respective supply amounts of ammonia and high-concentration hydrogen gas that are supplied to the mixing tank (7). The control means (10) calculates the combustion rate coefficient C of mixed gas with respect to a reference fuel on the basis of equation (1). Equation (1): S.sub.0=S.sub.H?C+S.sub.A?(1?C). In equation (1), S.sub.0 is the combustion rate of the reference fuel, S.sub.H is the combustion rate of hydrogen, S.sub.A is the combustion rate of ammonia, and C is the combustion rate coefficient of mixed gas. In addition, on the basis of equation (2), the control means (10) determines the volume fractions of ammonia and hydrogen that are supplied to the mixing tank. Equation (2): C=1?exp(?A?M.sub.B). In equation (2), M is the volume fraction of hydrogen in mixed gas, and A and B are constants.

A gas distribution hub for a plasma reactor chamber has a nozzle includes an inner gas injection passage and an outer gas injection passage, each open to a bottom surface of the hub. For each of the inner and outer gas injection passages, multiple radial elevated feed lines have input ends at a periphery of the hub to receive gas and output ends overlying the respective gas injection passage. Respective axial drop lines connect the respective output ends of the radial elevated feed lines to the respective gas injection passages.

An exothermic reaction of hydrogen/deuterium loaded into a metal or alloy is triggered by controlling the frequency of a hydrogen/deuterium plasma in a reaction chamber. The plasma frequency is controlled by adjusting its electron density, which in turn is controlled by adjusting the pressure within the reaction chamber. An exothermic reaction is generated at certain discrete plasma frequencies, which correspond to the optical phonon modes of D-D, H-D, and HH bonds within the metal lattice. For example, in palladium metal, the frequencies are 8.5 THz, 15 THz, and 20 THz, respectively.

An exothermic reaction assembly includes a reaction chamber and a generator operative to generate an AC electrical signal and apply the signal to the reaction chamber by superimposing the AC signal over a DC signal. A gas manifold and controller is operative to connect a vacuum pump and one or more gas chambers to the reaction chamber and to control a pressure of the reaction chamber. The signal generator is operative to create a plasma in the reaction chamber by superimposing the AC electrical signal to the reaction chamber over the DC signal. The gas manifold and controller are operative to adjust the pressure within the reaction chamber to achieve a predetermined plasma frequency.

The present development is a reactor system for the production of nanostructures. The reactor system comprises a conical reactor body designed to maintain an upwardly directed vertical plasma flame and hydrocarbon flame. The reactor system further includes a metal powder feed that feeds into the plasma flame, a cyclone and a dust removal unit. The system is designed to produce up to 100 grams of metal oxide nanomaterials per minute.

An engine assembly includes a diesel internal combustion engine and an aftertreatment system coupled to the diesel internal combustion engine. The aftertreatment system includes a diesel oxidation catalyst coupled to the diesel internal combustion engine such that the diesel oxidation catalyst receives exhaust gases from the diesel internal combustion engine. The aftertreatment system includes a plasma generator in fluid communication with the diesel oxidation catalyst, wherein the plasma generator is upstream of the diesel oxidation catalyst and downstream of the diesel internal combustion engine, and the plasma generator is configured to generate oxidizers to at least partially oxidize hydrocarbons in the exhaust gases exiting the diesel internal combustion engine.

A plasma chemical reactor including an anode having a generally cylindrical shape and an axis of rotational symmetry; a cathode inside the anode and co-axial with the anode; a hot plasma channel between the between the anode and the cathode; a gas input module providing gas flow into the anode; a gas output module at a distal end of the anode; and a high voltage power supply providing with a current in a range of 0.1-1.0 A. The high voltage power supply provides a voltage to the cathode in a range of 0-5 kV, a power of at least 1 kW, and a voltage/current ratio of at least 1000 V/A.

A chemical reactor comprises a plasma torch reactor and a liquid metal system. The plasma torch reactor receives at least one feedstock gas and provides a plasma torch output comprising reaction products. The liquid metal system receives the plasma torch output of the plasma torch reactor and separates the reaction products received from the plasma torch reactor and to provide them as output products to the chemical reactor. A method of decomposing a hydrocarbon provided as input to a chemical reactor comprising a plasma torch reactor and a liquid torch system is also described.

A plasma reactor for processing a workpiece includes a reactor chamber having a ceiling and a sidewall and a workpiece support facing the ceiling and defining a processing region, and a pair of concentric independently excited RF coil antennas overlying the ceiling and a side RF coil concentric with the side wall and facing the side wall below the ceiling, and being excited independently.

An engine assembly includes a diesel internal combustion engine and an aftertreatment system coupled to the diesel internal combustion engine. The aftertreatment system includes a diesel oxidation catalyst coupled to the diesel internal combustion engine such that the diesel oxidation catalyst receives exhaust gases from the diesel internal combustion engine. The aftertreatment system includes a plasma generator in fluid communication with the diesel oxidation catalyst, wherein the plasma generator is upstream of the diesel oxidation catalyst and downstream of the diesel internal combustion engine, and the plasma generator is configured to generate oxidizers to at least partially oxidize hydrocarbons in the exhaust gases exiting the diesel internal combustion engine.