Experimental and theoretical study of the efficiency of a three-electrode reactor for the removal of NO

An experimental and theoretical study is presented on the efficiency of the removal of NO in a N2 atmosphere in a novel three-electrode reactor. This reactor combines a dielectric-barrier discharge with a corona discharge, designed to enhance streamer propagation in a relatively large region. Experimentally, the reactor has a good energy yield for the removal of NO, as compared with other discharge methods. A theoretical model is developed for the production of reactive species in the streamers by different reactions that allow to relate simple electrical measurements with the reactor efficiency. This theoretical efficiency resulted in good agreement with the experimental one, validating the model and allowing the evaluation of the contribution of different reactions involved in NO removal. (paper)