Experimental study on particulate matter removal using packed-bed dielectric barrier discharge plasma reactor

In this study, a packed-bed dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor was developed for particulate matter (PM) removal. The effects of operating conditions such as the packing materials, applied power, and discharging gap were systematically investigated. The results revealed that Zeolite 13X exhibited the highest PM removal efficiency based on its high electrostatic adsorption capacity. A narrow discharge gap (2.4 mm) and increased power density resulted in an enhancement of the PM removal efficiency in the system. Further, these operating conditions increased the electric field strength, which was proportional to the current density in the system. The energy yield decreased with an increase in the specific energy input into the packed-bed DBD reactor. Among the tested operating parameters, maintaining a narrow discharging gap was determined to be the most important for achieving high energy efficiency and PM removal in the system. Moreover, an air cleaning procedure was applied for the regeneration of the packing materials, resulting in a high recovery rate of over 80%.