Search Results (20)

The increasing demand for sustainable energy has spurred the exploration of advanced technologies for biodiesel production. This paper investigates the use of Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD)-generated low-temperature plasmas to enhance the conversion of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) into hydrogenated fatty acid methyl esters (H-FAMEs) and other high-value hydrocarbons. A key mechanistic advance is achieved via in situ distillation: at the reactor temperature, unsaturated C18 and C20 FAMEs remain liquid due to their low melting points, while the corresponding saturated C18:0 and C20:0 FAMEs (with melting points of approximately 37–39 °C and 46–47 °C, respectively) solidify and deposit on a glass substrate. This phase separation continuously exposes fresh unsaturated FAME to the plasma, driving further hydrogenation and thereby delivering high overall conversion efficiency. The non-thermal, energy-efficient nature of DBD plasmas offers a promising alternative to conventional high-pressure, high-temperature methods; here, we evaluate the process efficiency, product selectivity, and scalability of this room-temperature, atmospheric-pressure approach and discuss its potential for sustainable fuel-reforming applications. Full article

Capturing CO₂ emitted by coal chemical enterprises and injecting it into oil reservoirs not only effectively improves the recovery rate and development efficiency of tight oil reservoirs in the Ordos Basin but also addresses the carbon emission problem constraining the development of the region. Since initiating field experiments in 2012, the Ordos Basin has become a significant base for CCUS (Carbon capture, Utilization, and Storage) technology application and demonstration in China. However, over the years, projects have primarily focused on enhancing the recovery rate of CO₂ flooding, while issues such as potential reservoir damage and its extent have received insufficient attention. This oversight hinder the long-term development and promotion of CO₂ flooding technology in the region. Experimental results were comprehensively analyzed using techniques including nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), inductively coupled plasma (ICP), and ion chromography (IG). The findings indicate that under current reservoir temperature and pressure conditions, significant asphaltene deposition and calcium carbonate precipitation do not occur during CO₂ flooding. The reservoir’s characteristics-high feldspar content, low carbon mineral content, and low clay mineral content determine that the primary mechanism affecting physical properties under CO₂ flooding in the Chang 4 + 5 tight sandstone reservoir is not, as traditional understand, carbon mineral dissolution or primary clay mineral expansion and migration. Instead, feldspar corrosion and secondary particles migration are the fundamental reasons for the changes in reservoir properties. As permeability increases, micro pore blockage decreases, and the damaging effect of CO₂ flooding on reservoir permeability diminishes. Permeability and micro pore structure are therefore significant factors determining the damage degree of CO₂ flooding inflicts on tight reservoirs. In addition, temperature and pressure have a significant impact on the extent of reservoir damage caused by CO₂ flooding in the study region. At a given reservoir temperature, increasing CO₂ injection pressure can mitigate reservoir damage. It is recommended to avoid conducting CO₂ flooding projects in reservoirs with severe pressure attenuation, low permeability, and narrow pore throats as much as possible to prevent serious damage to the reservoir. At the same time, the production pressure difference should be reasonably controlled during the production process to reduce the risk and degree of calcium carbonate precipitation near oil production wells. Full article

Pulse detonation engines (PDEs) have become a transformative technology in the field of aerospace propulsion due to the high thermal efficiency of detonation combustion. However, initiating detonation waves within a limited space and time is key to their engineering application. Direct initiation, though theoretically feasible, requires very high critical energy, making it almost impossible to achieve in engineering applications. Therefore, indirect initiation methods are more practical for triggering detonation waves that produce a deflagration wave through a low-energy ignition source and realizing deflagration to detonation transition (DDT) through flame acceleration and the interaction between flames and shock waves. This review systematically summarizes recent advancements in DDT methods in pulse detonation engines, focusing on the basic principles, influencing factors, technical bottlenecks, and optimization paths of the following: hot jet ignition initiation, obstacle-induced detonation, shock wave focusing initiation, and plasma ignition initiation. The results indicate that hot jet ignition enhances turbulent mixing and energy deposition by injecting energy through high-energy jets using high temperature and high pressure; this can reduce the DDT distance of hydrocarbon fuels by 30–50%. However, this approach faces challenges such as significant jet energy dissipation, flow field instability, and the complexity of the energy supply system. Solid obstacle-induced detonation passively generates turbulence and shock wave reflection through geometric structures to accelerate flame propagation, which has the advantages of having a simple structure and high reliability. However, the problem of large pressure loss and thermal fatigue restricts its long-term application. Fluidic obstacle-induced detonation enhances mixing uniformity through dynamic disturbance to reduce pressure loss. However, its engineering application is constrained by high energy consumption requirements and jet–mainstream coupling instability. Shock wave focusing utilizes concave cavities or annular structures to concentrate shock wave energy, which directly triggers detonation under high ignition efficiency and controllability. However, it is extremely sensitive to geometric parameters and incident shock wave conditions, and the structural thermal load issue is prominent. Plasma ignition generates active particles and instantaneous high temperatures through high-energy discharge, which chemically activates fuel and precisely controls the initiation sequence, especially for low-reactivity fuels. However, critical challenges, such as high energy consumption, electrode ablation, and decreased discharge efficiency under high-pressure environments, need to be addressed urgently. In order to overcome the bottlenecks in energy efficiency, thermal management, and dynamic stability, future research should focus on multi-modal synergistic initiation strategies, the development of high-temperature-resistant materials, and intelligent dynamic control technologies. Additionally, establishing a standardized testing system to quantify DDT distance, energy thresholds, and dynamic stability indicators is essential to promote its transition to engineering applications. Furthermore, exploring the DDT mechanisms of low-carbon fuels is imperative to advance carbon neutrality goals. By summarizing the existing DDT methods and technical bottlenecks, this paper provides theoretical support for the engineering design and application of PDEs, contributing to breakthroughs in the fields of hypersonic propulsion, airspace shuttle systems, and other fields. Full article

Sustainable agriculture faces major issues with resource efficiency, nutrient distribution, and plant health. Traditional soil-based and soilless farming systems encounter issues including excessive water use, insufficient nutrient uptake, nitrogen deficiency, and restricted plant development. According to the previous literature, aeroponic systems accelerate plant growth rates, improve root oxygenation, and significantly enhance water use efficiency, particularly when paired with both low- and high-pressure misting systems. However, despite these advantages, they also present certain challenges. A major drawback is the inefficiency of nitrogen fixation, resulting in insufficient nutrient availability and heightened plant stress from uncontrolled misting, which ultimately reduces yield. Many studies have investigated plasma uses in both soil-based and soilless plant cultures; nevertheless, however, its function in aeroponics remains unexplored. Therefore, the present work aims to thoroughly investigate and review the integration of plasma-activated water (PAW) and plasma-activated mist (PAM) in aeroponics systems to solve important problems. A review of the current literature discloses that PAW and PAM expand nitrogen fixation, promote nutrient efficiency, and modulate microbial populations, resulting in elevated crop yields and enhanced plant health, akin to soil-based and other soilless systems. Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) produced by plasma treatments improve nutrient bioavailability, root development, and microbial equilibrium, alleviating critical challenges in aeroponics, especially within fine-mist settings. This review further examines artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) in aeroponics. Models driven by AI enable the accurate regulation of fertilizer concentrations, misting cycles, temperature, and humidity, as well as real-time monitoring and predictive analytics. IoT-enabled smart farming systems employ sensors for continuous nutrient monitoring and gas detection (e.g., NO₂, O₃, NH₃), providing automated modifications to enhance aeroponic efficiency. Based on a brief review of the current literature, this study concludes that the future integration of plasma technology with AI and IoT may address the limitations of aeroponics. The integration of plasma technology with intelligent misting and data-driven control systems can enhance aeroponic systems for sustainable and efficient agricultural production. This research supports the existing body of research that advocates for plasma-based innovations and intelligent agricultural solutions in precision farming. Full article

In recent years, the in situ resource utilization of ${\mathrm{CO}}_2$ in the Martian atmosphere by low-temperature plasma technology has garnered significant attention. However, numerical simulation is extremely time-consuming for modeling the complex ${\mathrm{CO}}_2$ plasma, involving tens of species and hundreds of reactions, especially under Martian pressure. In this study, a deep neural network (DNN) with multiple hidden layers is introduced to investigate the ${\mathrm{CO}}_2$ conversion in radio-frequency (RF) discharges at a given power density under Martian pressure in almost real time. After training on the dataset obtained from the fluid model or experimental measurements, the DNN shows the ability to accurately and efficiently predict the various discharge characteristics and plasma chemistry of RF ${\mathrm{CO}}_2$ discharge even in seconds. Compared with conventional fluid models, the computational efficiency of the DNN is improved by nearly ${10}^6$ times; thus, a real-time calculation of RF ${\mathrm{CO}}_2$ discharge can almost be achieved. The DNN can provide an enormous amount of data to enhance the simulation results due to the very high computational efficiency. The numerical data also suggest that the ${\mathrm{CO}}_2$ conversion increases with driving frequency at a fixed power density. This study shows the ability of the DNN-based approach to investigate ${\mathrm{CO}}_2$ conversion in RF discharges for various applications, providing a promising tool for the modeling of complex non-thermal plasmas. Full article

The application of terahertz (THz) radiation in scientific research as well as in applied and commercial technology has expanded rapidly in recent years. One example is the progress in high-resolution THz spectroscopy based on quantum cascade lasers, which has enabled new observations in astronomy, atmospheric research, and plasma diagnostics. However, the lack of easy-to-use and miniaturised detectors has hampered the development of compact THz spectroscopy systems out of the laboratory environment. In this paper, we introduce a new high-speed pyroelectric receiver as a cryogen-free detector for THz absorption spectroscopy. Its performance is characterised by absorption spectroscopy measurements on a reference gas cell (RGC) with ammonia using a tunable THz quantum cascade laser at approximately 4.75 THz as the light source. It is shown that the receiver can record spectra up to 281 Hz without any artefacts to the observed spectral absorption profile, and the results reproduce the known pressure of ammonia in the RGC. This demonstrates that the pyroelectric receiver can be reliably used as an alternative to helium-cooled bolometers for absorption spectroscopy measurements in the THz range, with its main advantages being the high bandwidth, compactness, relatively low cost, and room-temperature operation. Its simplicity and high sensitivity make this receiver a key component for compact THz spectroscopy systems. Full article

Diets including rice and rice-cooking methods influence digestive processes and blood glucose control. In this research, the effects of three different treatments (high-temperature and low-pressure plasma cooking, high-temperature cooking at atmospheric pressure (traditional method), and high-temperature cooking at high pressure) on the texture, color, molecular structure, infrared spectrum, microstructure, debranching enzyme activity, amylopectin content, glycemic index (GI), and in vitro starch digestibility of two rice varieties were studied. The results showed that the hardness, elasticity, viscosity, and chewability of rice after the high-temperature and low-pressure plasma treatment had no obvious changes compared with the traditional cooking method. A SEM analysis showed that the physical properties of the hydrophilicity on the surface of the rice increased after the high-temperature and low-pressure plasma treatment; the debranching enzyme activity reached 3.88 U/g (Xiantao rice) and 3.81 U/g (Heyuan rice), respectively, the amylose content of raw rice reached 68.77 mg/mL (Xiantao rice) and 64.92 mg/mL (Heyuan rice), which increased by 43.31 mg/mL and 39.46 mg/mL, respectively, and the GI was within the medium glycemic index of 56–69. The resistant starch in the Heyuan and Xiantao rice varieties amounted to 88.60 ± 3.10% and 89.40 ± 3.58%, respectively, after the high-temperature and low-pressure plasma processing method. The results showed positive effects and application potential for the cooking method in respect of diabetic consumers. Full article

Global warming, along with increasing global energy demands, has led to the need for a sustainable and low-carbon-based energy economy. In addition to renewable energy technologies, such as biomass, solar, hydro, and wind, another possible strategy to mitigate climate change is the capture/conversion and recycling of CO₂. In recent years, many methods for both CO₂ capture (mainly adsorption, absorption, and membrane) and conversion (many electrolysis, catalyst, and plasma) have been investigated. Conversion technology is less studied but seems to be very promising. Within that, non-thermal plasma technology has received much interest because it works at low temperatures and atmospheric pressure, and there is no need for high temperature and high electricity consumption, which are typical of the catalyst and electrolysis conversion processes, respectively. Therefore, in order to optimize this emerging technology, simulative kinetic models have been developed with the aim of maximizing both energy efficiency and CO₂ conversion. In the present paper, an overview of the most common non-thermal plasma technologies was carried out to highlight the advantages and disadvantages of each method. Then, an overview of the most significant kinetic models available in literature was carried out to point out the main reactions occurring during CO₂ conversion and also the parameters that most affect the performance of a plasma reactor during CO₂ conversion. Then, a brief recap of the literature available on economic studies of the plasma process is given. Full article

High-Pressure (HP) technology allows new possibilities of processing by Spark Plasma Synthesis (SPS). This process is mainly involved in the sintering process and for bonding, growing and reaction. High-Pressure tools combined with SPS is applied for processing polycrystalline diamond without binder (binderless PCD) in this current work. Our described innovative Ultra High Pressure Spark Plasma Sintering (UHP-SPS) equipment shows the combination of our high-pressure apparatus (Belt-type) with conventional pulse electric current generator (Fuji). Our UHP-SPS equipment allows the processing up to 6 GPa, higher pressure than HP-SPS equipment, based on a conventional SPS equipment in which a non-graphite mold (metals, ceramics, composite and hybrid) with better mechanical properties (capable of 1 GPa) than graphite. The equipment of UHP-SPS and HP-SPS elements (pistons + die) conductivity of the non-graphite mold define a Hot-Pressing process. This study presents the results showing the ability of sintering diamond powder without additives at 4–5 GPa and 1300–1400 °C for duration between 5 and 30 min. Our described UHP-SPS innovative cell design allows the consolidation of diamond particles validated by the formation of grain boundaries on two different grain size powders, i.e., 0.75–1.25 μm and 8–12 μm. The phenomena explanation is proposed by comparison with the High Pressure High Temperature (HP-HT) (Belt, toroidal-Bridgman, multi-anvils (cubic)) process conventionally used for processing binderless polycrystalline diamond (binderless PCD). It is shown that using UHP-SPS, binderless diamond can be sintered at very unexpected P-T conditions, typically ~10 GPa and 500–1000 °C lower in typical HP-HT setups. This makes UHP-SPS a promising tool for the sintering of other high-pressure materials at non-equilibrium conditions and a potential industrial transfer with low environmental fingerprints could be considered. Full article

Microfluidics integration of acoustic biosensors is an actively developing field. Despite significant progress in “passive” microfluidic technology, integration with microacoustic devices is still in its research state. The major challenge is bonding polymers with monocrystalline piezoelectrics to seal microfluidic biosensors. In this contribution, we specifically address the challenge of microfluidics integration on gallium arsenide (GaAs) acoustic biosensors. We have developed a robust plasma-assisted bonding technology, allowing strong connections between PDMS microfluidic chip and GaAs/SiO₂ at low temperatures (70 °C). Mechanical and fluidic performances of fabricated device were studied. The bonding surfaces were characterized by water contact angle measurement and ATR-FTIR, AFM, and SEM analysis. The bonding strength was characterized using a tensile machine and pressure/leakage tests. The study showed that the sealed chips were able to achieve a limit of high bonding strength of 2.01 MPa. The adhesion of PDMS to GaAs was significantly improved by use of SiO₂ intermediate layer, permitting the bonded chip to withstand at least 8.5 bar of burst pressure. The developed bonding approach can be a valuable solution for microfluidics integration in several types of MEMS devices. Full article

The use of thermal and non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma to solve problems related to agriculture and biomedicine is the focus of this paper. Plasma in thermal equilibrium is used where heat is required. In agriculture, it is used to treat soil and land contaminated by the products of biomass, plastics, post-hospital and pharmaceutical waste combustion, and also by ecological phenomena that have recently been observed, such as droughts, floods and storms, leading to environmental pollution. In biomedical applications, thermal plasma is used in so-called indirect living tissue treatment. The sources of thermal plasma are arcs, plasma torches and microwave plasma reactors. In turn, atmospheric pressure cold (non-thermal) plasma is applied in agriculture and biomedicine where heat adversely affects technological processes. The thermodynamic imbalance of cold plasma makes it suitable for organic syntheses due its low power requirements and the possibility of conducting chemical reactions in gas at relatively low and close to ambient temperatures. It is also suitable in the treatment of living tissues and sterilisation of medical instruments made of materials that are non-resistant to high temperatures. Non-thermal and non-equilibrium discharges at atmospheric pressure that include dielectric barrier discharges (DBDs) and atmospheric pressure plasma jets (APPJs), as well as gliding arc (GAD), can be the source of cold plasma. This paper presents an overview of agriculture and soil protection problems and biomedical and health protection problems that can be solved with the aid of plasma produced with electrical discharges. In particular, agricultural processes related to water, sewage purification with ozone and with advanced oxidation processes, as well as those related to contaminated soil treatment and pest control, are presented. Among the biomedical applications of cold plasma, its antibacterial activity, wound healing, cancer treatment and dental problems are briefly discussed. Full article

The neutral beam injector (NBI) generates a high-energy ion beam and neutralizes it, and then relies on drift transmission to inject the formed neutral beam into the fusion plasma to increase the plasma temperature and drive the plasma current. In order to better cooperate with the Experimental Advanced Superconductive Tokamak (EAST), part of the Chinese major national scientific and technological infrastructure, in carrying out long-pulse high-parameter physics experiments of 400 s and above, this paper considers the optimization of the current design and operation of the NBI beam line with a pulse width of 100 s. Based on an upgraded and optimized NBI vacuum chamber and the structure of the beam-line components, the gas-source characteristics under the layout design of the NBI system are analyzed and an NBI vacuum system that meets relevant needs is designed. Using Molflow software to simulate the transport process of gas molecules in the vacuum chamber, the pressure gradient in the vacuum chamber and the heat-load distribution of the low-temperature condensation surface are obtained. The results show that when the NBI system is dynamically balanced, the pressure of each vacuum chamber section is lower than the set value, thus meeting the performance requirements for the NBI vacuum system and providing a basis for subsequent implementation of the NBI vacuum system upgrade using engineering. Full article

This review considers the selective studies on environmentally friendly, combustion-free, allothermal, atmospheric-pressure, noncatalytic, direct H₂O/CO₂ gasification of organic feedstocks like biomass, sewage sludge wastes (SSW) and municipal solid wastes (MSW) to demonstrate the pros and cons of the approaches and provide future perspectives. The environmental friendliness of H₂O/CO₂ gasification is well known as it is accompanied by considerably less harmful emissions into the environment as compared to O₂/air gasification. Comparative analysis of the various gasification technologies includes low-temperature H₂O/CO₂ gasification at temperatures up to 1000 °C, high-temperature plasma- and solar-assisted H₂O/CO₂ gasification at temperatures above 1200 °C, and an innovative gasification technology applying ultra-superheated steam (USS) with temperatures above 2000 °C obtained by pulsed or continuous gaseous detonations. Analysis shows that in terms of such characteristics as the carbon conversion efficiency (CCE), tar and char content, and the content of harmful by-products the plasma and detonation USS gasification technologies are most promising. However, as compared with plasma gasification, detonation USS gasification does not need enormous electric power with unnecessary and energy-consuming gas–plasma transition. Full article

Heteroepitaxial growth of Ge films on Si is necessary for the progress of integrated Si photonics technology. In this work, an in-house assembled plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition reactor was used to grow high quality epitaxial Ge films on Si (100) substrates. Low economic and thermal budget were accomplished by the avoidance of ultra-high vacuum conditions or high temperature substrate pre-deposition bake for the process. Films were deposited with and without plasma assistance using germane (GeH₄) precursor in a single step at process temperatures of 350–385 °C and chamber pressures of 1–10 Torr at various precursor flow rates. Film growth was realized at high ambient chamber pressures (>10⁻⁶ Torr) by utilizing a rigorous ex situ substrate cleaning process, closely controlling substrate loading times, chamber pumping and the dead-time prior to the initiation of film growth. Plasma allowed for higher film deposition rates at lower processing temperatures. An epitaxial growth was confirmed by X-Ray diffraction studies, while crystalline quality of the films was verified by X-ray rocking curve, Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and infra-red spectroscopy. Full article

Plasma spray-physical vapor deposition (PS-PVD) is an emerging technology for the deposition of uniform and large area coatings. As the characteristics of plasma jet are difficult to measure in the whole chamber, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations could predict the plasma jet temperature, velocity and pressure fields. However, as PS-PVD is generally operated at pressures below 500 Pa, a question rises about the validity of the CFD predictions that are based on the continuum assumption. This study dealt with CFD simulations for a PS-PVD system operated either with an argon-hydrogen plasma jet at low-power (<50 kW) or with an argon-helium plasma jet at high-power (≥50 kW). The effect of the net arc power and chamber pressure on the plasma jet characteristics and local gradient Knudsen number (Kn) was systematically investigated. The Kn was found to be lower than 0.2, except in the region corresponding to the first expansion shock wave. The peak value in this region decreased rapidly with an increase in the arc net power and the width of this region decreased with an increase in the deposition chamber pressure. Based on the results of the study, the local Knudsen number was introduced for detecting conditions where the continuum approach is valid under PS-PVD conditions for the first time and the CFD simulations could be reasonably used to determine a process parameter window under the conditions of this study. Full article