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 V AC, 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.

A system is described that is capable of operating as an energy conversion system that functions as a fuel cell and generates electrical current from a fuel or fuels, or as a reactor for conversion of starter materials into more complex molecules through ion-ion and ion-molecules and which may preferably be adapted to operate as a gas to liquid (GTL) process. The system ionises at least one fuel or starter material and manipulates, selects and transports ions for reaction by means of suitable electrostatic or electrodynamic ion guides, filters or drift tubes. The system of the present application replaces the electrolyte, catalyst and/or membrane found in classic fuel cells or GTL processes with an electrostatic or electrodynamic ion manipulation region such as an ion guide, analyser, drift tube or filter.

A reactor system for carrying out an endothermic catalytic chemical reaction in a given temperature range upon bringing a reactant into contact with a catalyst material. The reactor system includes a reactor unit arranged to accommodate catalyst material including one or more ferromagnetic macroscopic supports susceptible for induction heating where the one or more ferromagnetic macroscopic supports are ferromagnetic at temperatures up to an upper limit of the given temperature range. The one or more ferromagnetic macroscopic supports are coated with an oxide, and the oxide is impregnated with catalytically active particles. The reactor system moreover includes an induction coil arranged to be powered by a power source supplying alternating current and being positioned so as to generate an alternating magnetic field within the reactor unit upon energization by the power source, whereby the catalyst material is heated to a temperature within the temperature range by the alternating magnetic field.

Disclosed is a plasma surface treatment apparatus for conductive powder. The plasma surface treatment apparatus for conductive powder comprises: a reaction chamber including a linear gas inlet at the lower end thereof and a gas outlet at the upper end thereof, and having a vertical cross section that is funnel-shaped; and a plasma jet generation device that is located below the linear gas inlet and is configured to discharge a plasma jet into the reaction chamber from below in an upward direction through the linear gas inlet, wherein powder is accommodated in the reaction chamber and is treated by plasma while buoyed by the plasma jet.

A method of converting a hydrocarbon-based material into acetylene or ethylene according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a supply step of supplying a gaseous or liquid hydrocarbon-based material to a plasma reactor, and a temperature control step of creating a temperature condition of a decomposition reaction of converting the hydrocarbon-based material into acetylene or ethylene in a reaction space in the plasma reactor.

Disclosed are a multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) formed using arc discharge and a method for manufacturing the same. The carbon source of the anode and boron that is the doping source, are evaporated through arc discharge and then deposited on the surface of the cathode to form MWCNTs, and boron is evenly distributed in the multi-walls of the MWCNTs. Therefore, the outer diameter of the MWCNT is reduced, high thermal stability is secured, and the effect of improving the field emission characteristics can be obtained.

Various embodiments of the present invention relate to, among other things, a nano carrier platform for generating enhanced engineered water nanostructures (iEWNS) encapsulating and delivering reactive oxygen species (ROS) and, in some instances, other active ingredients, methods for inactivating at least one of viruses, bacteria, bacterial spores, and fungi on a substrate by applying iEWNS to the substrate.

A process can be used for performing a pyrolysis of hydrocarbons in a rotary drum reactor at a temperature in the range of from 600 to 1800° C. The heat for the endothermic pyrolysis is provided by resistive heating of at least one particulate electrically conductive material introduced into said rotary drum reactor and moved through the rotary drum reactor with a flow of a hydrocarbon. The rotary drum reactor contains (A) an inner wall made of electrically insulated material, (B) a pressure-bearing outer wall, and (C) an electrical heating system attached to the inner wall and/or at least one integrated electrically conducting electrode pair. The at least one electrode pair is located at both ends of the inner wall of the rotary drum.

The invention provides a system and method for conversion of raw syngas and tars into refined syngas, while optionally minimizing the parasitic losses of the process and maximizing the usable energy density of the product syngas. The system includes a reactor including a refining chamber for refining syngas comprising one or more inlets configured to promote at least two flow zones: a central zone where syngas and air/process additives flow in a swirling pattern for mixing and combustion in the high temperature central zone; at least one peripheral zone within the reactor which forms a boundary layer of a buffering flow along the reactor walls, (b) plasma torches that inject plasma into the central zone, and (c) air injection patterns that create a recirculation zone to promotes mixing between the high temperature products at the core reaction zone of the vessel and the buffering layer, wherein in the central zone, syngas and air/process additives mixture are ignited in close proximity to the plasma arc, coming into contact with each other, concurrently, at the entrance to the reaction chamber and method of using the system.

The invention concerns a method (100) for recovering and/or recycling a bituminous product by means of pulsed power, the bituminous product comprising bitumen and elements to be separated, involving the following steps: —supplying (101) a reactor (11) inside which at least two electrodes (13) extend with the bituminous product and a liquid medium of which at least one liquid component has Hansen solubility parameters δη, δρ and δd such that the bitumen is at least partially soluble in the liquid medium, the elements to be separated being insoluble, —generating (102) a series of electromagnetic pulses between the electrodes (13) in the reactor (11) so as to produce, as a result of the power, the frequency and the switching time of the electromagnetic pulses, at least one shock wave and at least ultraviolet radiation, in such a way as to disperse and dissolve the bitumen in the liquid medium, and to separate the bitumen and the insoluble elements, the liquid medium preventing the reconstitution of the bitumen.