The effect of O₂ in a humid O₂/N₂/NO_x gas mixture on NO_x and N₂O remediation by an atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge : The Effect of O2 in a Humid O2 /N2 /NO x Gas Mixture on NO x and N2 O …

A numerical model for NxOy remediation in humid air plasma produced with a dielectric barrier discharge at atmospheric pressure is presented. Special emphasis is given to NO2 and N2O reduction with the decrease of O2 content in the feedstock gas. A detailed reaction mechanism including electronic and ionic processes, as well as the contribution of radicals and excited atomic/molecular species is proposed.

The temporal evolution of the densities of NO, NO2 and N2O species, and some other by-products, is analyzed, and the major pathways for the NxOy remediation are discussed for one pulse. Subsequently, simulations are presented for a multi-pulses case, where three O2 contents are tested for optimization of the remediation process.

It is found that when the gas mixture O2/N2/H2O/NOx has no initial O2 content, the best NOx and N2O remediation is achieved.