A nitrous acid generator includes a treatment vessel having an inner space being capable of holding a liquid; a gas supplier supplying a gas to the inner space such that the gas forms a bubble in the liquid, the gas containing oxygen and nitrogen; a plasma generator including a first electrode, a second electrode, and a power supply for applying a voltage therebetween, the plasma generator generating plasma in the bubble, the plasma producing nitrogen oxide including nitrogen monoxide and nitrogen dioxide; a gas-liquid contact member to which the nitrogen oxide and the liquid are introduced from the treatment vessel, the gas-liquid contact member causing the nitrogen oxide to be dissolved in the liquid while the nitrogen oxide and the liquid pass through the gas-liquid contact member; and a cooler cooling the nitrogen oxide and the liquid while the nitrogen oxide and the liquid pass through the gas-liquid contact member.

A plasma abatement process for abating effluent containing compounds from a processing chamber is described. A plasma abatement process takes gaseous foreline effluent from a processing chamber, such as a deposition chamber, and reacts the effluent within a plasma chamber placed in the foreline path. The plasma dissociates the compounds within the effluent, converting the effluent into more benign compounds. Abating reagents may assist in the abating of the compounds. The abatement process may be a volatizing or a condensing abatement process. Representative volatilizing abating reagents include, for example, CH.sub.4, H.sub.2O, H.sub.2, NF.sub.3, SF.sub.6, F.sub.2, HCl, HF, Cl.sub.2, and HBr. Representative condensing abating reagents include, for example, H.sub.2, H.sub.2O, O.sub.2, N.sub.2, O.sub.3, CO, CO.sub.2, NH.sub.3, N.sub.2O, CH.sub.4, and combinations thereof.

Methods of sequestering toxin particulates are described herein. In a primary processing chamber, a carbon source of toxin particulates may be combined with plasma from three plasma torches to form a first fluid mixture and vitrified toxin residue. Each torch may have a working gas including oxygen gas, water vapor, and carbon dioxide gas. The vitrified toxin residue is removed. The first fluid mixture may be cooled in a first heat exchange device to form a second fluid mixture. The second fluid mixture may contact a wet scrubber. The final product from the wet scrubber may be used as a fuel product.

Disclosed are example efficient circuits that produce spark discharges for hydrocarbon conversion (or treatment of other mixtures) using a high-voltage rectified DC supply to discharge a capacitor (either internal or external) across a two-electrode gap, optimized to minimize waste energy by operating in a constant current, approximately-constant current, or constant power mode. The circuits may operate off of a standard electrical supply line (e.g. 120 VAC or 240 VAC, 60 Hz, single-phase or multi-phase). The disclosed approach is scalable to any number of discharge gaps while maintaining similar pulse characteristics and electrical efficiency.

Methods of making a fuel fluid are disclosed. A first working fluid and a second working fluid may be provided. The first working fluid may be exposed to a first high voltage electric field to produce a first fluid plasma, and the second working fluid may be exposed to a second high voltage electric field to produce a second fluid plasma. The first fluid plasma and the second fluid plasma may be contacted to form a fluid plasma mixture, which is transported to a heat exchange device. The fluid plasma mixture may be cooled to form a fuel fluid; and the fuel fluid may be collected.

The present invention relates to a spark discharge generator. The spark discharge system of the present invention includes a plurality of columnar electrodes and a ground plate having a plurality of outlet holes at positions corresponding to the columnar electrodes. The use of the spark discharge generator enables the production of a three-dimensionally shaped nanostructure array on a large area in a uniform and rapid manner.

A plasma abatement process for abating effluent containing compounds from a processing chamber is described. A plasma abatement process takes gaseous foreline effluent from a processing chamber, such as a deposition chamber, and reacts the effluent within a plasma chamber placed in the foreline path. The plasma dissociates the compounds within the effluent, converting the effluent into more benign compounds. Abating reagents may assist in the abating of the compounds. The abatement process may be a volatizing or a condensing abatement process. Representative volatilizing abating reagents include, for example, CH.sub.4, H.sub.2O, H.sub.2, NF.sub.3, SF.sub.6, F.sub.2, HCl, HF, Cl.sub.2, and HBr. Representative condensing abating reagents include, for example, H.sub.2, H.sub.2O, O.sub.2, N.sub.2, O.sub.3, CO, CO.sub.2, NH.sub.3, N.sub.2O, CH.sub.4, and combinations thereof.

A device for producing an organic hydride 10 of an aspect of the present invention has an electrochemical cell provided with an anode 12 on a surface of an electrolyte membrane 11 and a cathode including a cathode catalyst layer 13 and a cathode diffusion layer 14 on another surface of the electrolyte membrane 11. A gap is provided between the anode 12 and the electrolyte membrane 11. The anode 12 has a network structure with an aperture ratio of 30 to 70%, and has an electrical supply supporting material formed of an electronic conductor and the electrode catalyst held by the electrical supply supporting material.

A system for performing treatment of a liquid by ionized gas comprises a laminar flow liquid gas plasma reactor. The plasma reactor includes electrodes, an upper and lower flow spreader, and a housing. The reactor uses gas to form a gas zone above the liquid where the gas is ionized directly above and in direct contact with the liquid. The ionized gas reacts with the liquid to form an effluent.

A nitric oxide generator generates nitric oxide from a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen such as air treated by a pulsating electrical discharge. The desired concentration of nitric oxide is obtained by controlling at least one of a frequency of the pulsating electrical discharge and duration of each electrical discharge pulse.