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.

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.

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.

An apparatus for forming methane from carbon dioxide and hydrogen is described. The apparatus comprises: a dielectric barrier discharge, DBD, device arranged to generate a plasma; and a passageway having an inlet for the carbon dioxide and the hydrogen and an outlet for the methane and including therein a catalyst comprising nickel and alumina. The passageway extends, at least in part, through the DBD device wherein, in use, the carbon dioxide is exposed to the catalyst in the presence of the hydrogen in the generated plasma, thereby forming the methane from at least some of the carbon dioxide and the hydrogen. A method, a use and a catalyst are also described.

An apparatus for forming C1 to C5 alcohol, carboxylic acid, or mixture thereof from carbon dioxide and hydrogen is described. The apparatus comprises: a dielectric barrier discharge, DBD, device arranged to generate a plasma; and a passageway having an inlet for the carbon dioxide and the hydrogen and an outlet for the C1 to C5 alcohol, carboxylic acid, or mixture thereof and including therein a catalyst comprising nickel and/or cobalt and/or copper on a support. The passageway extends, at least in part, through the DBD device wherein, in use, the carbon dioxide is exposed to the catalyst in the presence of the hydrogen in the generated plasma, thereby forming the C1 to C5 alcohol, carboxylic acid, or mixture thereof from at least some of the carbon dioxide and the hydrogen. The DBD devices comprises a water electrode. A method and a catalyst are also described.

Apparatus and methods are provided that are capable of mass production of particulate materials, such as graphene particulates. The apparatus comprises an ignition assembly that comprises readily interchangeable electrode cassettes and that may be configured to self-clean in between the combustion cycles in which the particulate materials are generated. Methods of generating the particulate materials require low energy inputs in order to initiate the combustion reaction, which is then self-sustaining until the reactants are depleted.

A graphene nano-steam generator and a beauty instrument are provided. The graphene nano-steam generator includes a coarse steam channel, a nano-steam channel and a high-voltage power supply device. The coarse steam channel is connected to a coarse steam manufacturing device and the nano-steam channel. The coarse steam channel is provided with a steam sieving device, and an end of the coarse steam channel is provided with a first electrode and a second electrode. The high-voltage power supply device is coupled to the first electrode and the second electrode. The high-voltage power supply device supplies high-voltage electricity to the first electrode and the second electrode, and forms a high-voltage arc discharge between the first electrode and the second electrode, thus the coarse steam molecular group flowing through is ionized by the high-voltage arc to generate a large amount of active nano-scale steam to be flowed out from the nano-steam channel.

Systems and methods for eliminating carbon dioxide and capturing solid carbon are disclosed. By eliminating carbon dioxide gas, e.g., from an effluent exhaust stream of a fossil fuel fired electric power production facility, the inventive concepts presented herein represent an environmentally-clean solution that permanently eliminates greenhouse gases while at the same time producing captured solid carbon products that are useful in various applications including advanced composite material synthesis (e.g., carbon fiber, 3D graphene) and energy storage (e.g., battery technology). Capture of solid carbon during the disclosed process for eliminating greenhouse gasses avoids the inefficiencies and risks associated with conventional carbon dioxide sequestration. Colocation of the disclosed reactor with a fossil fuel fired power production facility brings to bear an environmentally beneficial, and financially viable approach for permanently capturing vast amounts of solid carbon from carbon dioxide gas and other greenhouse gases that would otherwise be released into Earth's biosphere.

Systems, methods and devices for nitric oxide generation are provided for use with various ventilation and/or medical devices and having a humidity control system associated therewith. In some embodiments, a system for generating nitric oxide comprises at least one pair of electrodes configured to generate a product gas containing nitric oxide from a reactant gas, a scrubber configured to remove nitric dioxide NO.sub.2 from the product gas, and a humidity control device configured to alter a water content of at least one of the reactant gas and the product gas to control humidity within the system.