Experimental investigation of the temperature distribution in a microwave-induced plasma reactor

Abstract It is urgent to reduce CO2 emissions to mitigate the impacts of climate change. The development of advanced conversion technologies integrated with plasma torches provides a path for the optimisation of clean energy recovery from biomass and wastes, thus substituting fossil fuels utilization. This article presents the temperature characterisation within a laboratory-scale microwave-induced plasma reactor operated with air, H2O and CO2 as the plasma working gases. The benefits associated with the plasma torch are highlighted and include rapid responses of the plasma and the temperature profile within the reactor to changing operating conditions. The average temperature near the side wall in the laboratory-scale reactor is proportional to the applied microwave power, ranging from 550 °C at 2 kW to 850 °C at 5 kW, while significantly higher temperatures are locally present within the plasma plume. The described system demonstrates promising conditions that are ideal for effective energy recovery from biomass and wastes into clean fuel gas.