Aspects of the present disclosure involve a power supply circuit for powering a plasma reactor and more specifically initiating and maintain a plasma therein, and that can operate with power from an intermittent power source. The power supply may include an auxiliary-power supply or trigger circuit, in addition to a primary-power supply circuit, which can reduce the need for high-voltage equipment in the high-power section of the power supply. In one particular use, the power supply includes a high-voltage power output that may be used for generating a plasma between electrodes, for example, in a nitrogen-fixation plasma system. The power supply circuit may provide the flexibility to power a plasma reactor using an intermittent power source, such as solar, wind, and/or a periodic low-cost power grid, while reducing wasteful power conditioning, lowering the cost of operation, and increasing the efficiency of chemical production from the renewable energy.

A process comprises feeding a stream of reactant compounds to a reactor and discharging a liquid plasma into the reactant stream in the reactor, wherein the plasma initiates or accelerates a reaction of the reactant compounds to form a product composition. The reactor can comprise one or more chambers, a high-voltage electrode positioned at a first portion of the one or more chambers, a ground electrode positioned at a second portion of the one or more chambers, and a dielectric plate between the ground electrode and the high-voltage electrode that comprises openings through which the reactant stream can pass from the first portion to the second portion or from the second portion to the first portion. Discharging the plasma can include supplying electrical power to the high-voltage electrode such that plasma is discharged where the reactant stream flows through the openings.

A system and method for producing graphene includes a discharge assembly and a substrate assembly. The discharge assembly includes a cathode and an anode, which in one embodiment are offset from each other. The anode produces a flux stream that is deposited onto a substrate. A collection device removes the deposited material from the rotating substrate. The flux stream can be a carbon vapor, with the deposited flux being graphene.

A reactor for reforming a liquid hydrocarbon fuel, and associated processes and systems, are described herein. In one example, a two stage process is disclosed in which a first reactor is coupled to a second stage reactor having a reaction volume greater than the first reactor. In the first reactor, the liquid hydrocarbon fuel is partially reformed and thereafter is inputted into the second stage reactor for complete partial oxidation. The reaction product is at last partially synthesis gas, a mixture of carbon monoxide, hydrogen, as well as other low hydrocarbons such as methane, ethylene, ethane, and acetylene. The low hydrocarbons can be reformed further in a solid oxide fuel cell. A portion of the gaseous, rotating contents of the second stage reactor may be input into the first reactor to help generate and sustain rotation within the first reactor.

In various embodiments, the invention teaches a method for water splitting with much higher efficiency than previous methods. By decreasing the distance between two electrodes to nanometer scale, even shorter than the electric field screening length, the external power required for water splitting is significantly reduced.

This disclosure provides methods, systems, and compositions of matter for studying solvent accessibility and three-dimensional structure of biological molecules. A plasma can be used to generate marker radicals, which can interact with a biological molecule and mark the solvent-accessible portions of the biological molecule.

This invention relates to processes and systems for converting acyclic hydrocarbons to alkenes, cyclic hydrocarbons and/or aromatics, for example converting acyclic C.sub.5 hydrocarbons to cyclopentadiene in a reactor system. The process includes heating an electrically-conductive reaction zone by applying an electrical current to the first electrically-conductive reaction zone; and contacting a feedstock comprising acyclic hydrocarbons with a catalyst material in the electrically-conductive reaction zone under reaction conditions to convert at least a portion of the acyclic hydrocarbons to an effluent comprising alkenes, cyclic hydrocarbons, and/or aromatics.

Methods and systems include supplying pulsed microwave radiation through a waveguide, where the microwave radiation propagates in a direction along the waveguide. A pressure within the waveguide is at least 0.1 atmosphere. A supply gas is provided at a first location along a length of the waveguide, a majority of the supply gas flowing in the direction of the microwave radiation propagation. A plasma is generated in the supply gas, and a process gas is added into the waveguide at a second location downstream from the first location. A majority of the process gas flows in the direction of the microwave propagation at a rate greater than 5 slm. An average energy of the plasma is controlled to convert the process gas into separated components, by controlling at least one of a pulsing frequency of the pulsed microwave radiation, and a duty cycle of the pulsed microwave radiation.

The disclosure relates to a device for making charged nanoparticles, the device includes: an atomizer configured to atomize a solution into micro-scaled droplets; a first electrode and a second electrode substantially parallel with and spaced from each other, a power supply configured to apply a voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode, at least one first through-hole is defined on the first electrode and at least one second through-hole is defined on the second electrode to allow the micro-scaled droplets to pass through.

The disclosure relates to a method for making charged nanoparticles, the method includes: providing a solution with a first solute; atomizing the solution into micro-scaled droplets; providing a charged electrode with at least one through-hole, a negative or positive electric potential is applied to the electrode; allowing the micro-scaled droplets to pass through the at least one through-hole.