Sustainable nitrogen fixation by bubble discharge plasma:Performance optimization and mechanism

Sustainable nitrogen fixation driven by renewable energy sources under mild conditions has been widely sought to replace the industrial Haber-Bosch process.The fixation of nitrogen in the form of NO_(x)^(-)and NH_4^(+)into aqueous solutions using electricity-driven gas-liquid discharge plasma is considered a promising prescription.In this paper,a scalable bubble discharge excited by nanosecond pulse power is employed for nitrogen fixation in the liquid phase.The nitrogen fixation performance and the mechanisms are analyzed by varying the power supply parameters,working gas flow rate and composition.The results show that an increase in voltage and frequency can result in an enhanced NO_(3)^(-)yield.Increases in the gas flow rate can result in inadequate activation of the working gas,which together with more inefficient mass transfer efficiencies can reduce the yield.The addition of O_(2) effectively elevates NO_(3)^(-)production while simultaneously inhibiting NH_4^(+) production.The addition of H_(2)O vapor increases the production of OH and H,thereby promoting the generation of reactive nitrogen and enhancing the yield of nitrogen fixation.However,the excessive addition of O_(2) and H_(2)O vapor results in negative effect on the yield of nitrogen fixation,due to the significant weakening of the discharge intensity.The optimal nitrogen fixation yield was up to 16.5 μmol/min,while the optimal energy consumption was approximately 21.3 MJ/mol in this study.Finally,the mechanism related to nitrogen fixation is discussed through the optical emission spectral(OES) information in conjunction with the simulation of energy loss paths in the plasma by BOLSIG+.The work advances knowledge of the effect of parameter variations on nitrogen fixation by gas-liquid discharge for higher yield and energy production.

A quantum-chemical study on the discharge reaction mechanism of lithium-sulfur batteries

Lithium-sulfur batteries have attracted a great interest in electrochemical energy conversion and storage, but their discharge mechanism remains not well understood up to now. Here, we report density functional theory （DFr） calculation study of the discharge mechanism for lithium-sulfur batteries which are based on the structure of $8 and Li2Sx （l_〈x〈_8） clusters. The results show that for LizSz （1 〈x_8） clusters, the most stable geometry is chainlike when x = 1 and 6, while the minimal-energy structure is found to be cyclic when x = 2-5, 7, 8. The stability of LizSx （l_〈x_〈 8） clusters increases with the decreasing x value, indicating a favorable thermodynamic tendency of transition from $8 to Li2S. A three-step reaction route has been proposed during the discharge process, that is, $8---~Li2S4 at about 2.30 V, Li2S4---~Li2S2 at around 2.22 V, and Li2S2 ~ Li2S at 2.18 V. Furthermore, the effect of the electrolyte on the potential platform has been also investigated. The discharge potential is found to increase with the decrease of dielectric constant of the electrolyte. The computational results could provide insights into further understanding the discharge mechanism of lithium-sulfur batteries.

Study on the discharge mechanism and EM radiation characteristics of Trichel pulse discharge in air

The Trichel pulse stage is an unstable stage of negative corona discharge that can also involve electromagnetic(EM) radiation signals. In this paper, the discharge mechanism and radiation characteristics of the Trichel pulse are studied in the needle-plate electrode configuration. The Trichel pulse current and its EM radiation signals are measured at different applied voltages.The results show that Trichel pulse discharge changes from the random pulse stage to the continuous pulse stage as the applied voltage increases. During these different stages, the normalized shape of the Trichel pulses remains unchanged, while the frequency of the EM radiation generated by the discharge remains unchanged. The discharge mechanism and EM radiation characteristics of the Trichel pulse are theoretically analyzed in the different stages.Both the positive ion sheath and the negative ion cloud play key roles in the formation of the Trichel pulse. The EM radiation signal is generated by the rapidly changing Trichel pulse current, and the Trichel pulse current waveform determines the characteristics of the EM radiation signal.

Analysis of Dissociation Mechanism of CO_2 in a Micro-Hollow Cathode Discharge

Considering the feature of distributions of parameters within the micro-hollow cathode discharge, we use a simple method to separate the sheath region characterized by drastic changes of plasma parameters and the bulk plasma region characterized by smooth changes of plasma parameters. A zero-dimensional chemical kinetic model is used to analyze the dissociation mechanism of CO2 in the bulk plasma region of a micro-hollow cathode discharge and is validated by comparisons with previous modeling and experimental results. The analysis of the chemical kinetic processes has shown that the electron impact dissociation and heavy species impact dissociation are dominant in different stages of the rnicro-hollow cathode discharge process for a given applied voltage. The analysis of energy consumption distributions under different applied voltages reveals that the main reason of the conversion improvement with the increase of the applied voltage is that more input energy is distributed to the heavy species impact dissociation.

Sexual spores in edible mushroom: bioactive components, discharge mechanisms and effects on fruiting bodies quality

Edible mushroom sexual spores have been gaining more interest due to their bioactive components and functions.Spore discharge(SD)is an important factor affecting the quality of edible mushrooms.In this review,the bioactive nutrients of sexual spores of edible mushrooms were summarized,the SD mechanism was described,and the relationship between postharvest SD and the quality of edible mushrooms was analyzed.Spores contain various bioactive nutrients that are benefi cial to the human body.Mature mushrooms can actively discharge spores in a process affected by light,relative humidity,and temperature.During storage,the physiological metabolism of spore-bearing gill tissue is vigorous,promoting the release of postharvest spores and changing the nutritional value of fruiting bodies.The flavor of the fruiting bodies also varied signifi cantly during SD.Edible mushroom sexual spores have the potential to become new raw materials for functional food and medical resources.Research on the effect of the mechanism of SD on the quality of edible mushrooms and the development of SD regulation technology may be a new trend in the quality control of edible mushrooms,which will promote the development of the edible mushroom industry.

Sterilization mechanism of helium/helium-oxygen atmospheric-pressure pulsed dielectric barrier discharge on membrane surface

Pulsed dielectric barrier discharge(PDBD) exhibits several applications in different fields;however,the interaction of its components with substances remains a key issue.In this study,we employed experimental and numerical modeling to investigate the interactions between different PDBD components and substances in pure helium and a helium-oxygen mixture.A membrane comprising a Staphylococcus aureus strain was utilized as the treatment object to demonstrate the trace actions of the evolutions and distributions of certain components on the surface of the substance.The results revealed that the shapes and sizes of the discharging area and inhibition zone differed between groups.Under a pure helium condition,a discharge layer existed along the membrane surface,lying beside the main discharging channel within the electrode area.Further,an annulus inhibition zone was formed at the outer edge of the electrode in the pure helium group at 30 s and 1 min,and this zone extended to a solid circle at 2 min with a radius that was~50% larger than that of the electrode radius.Nevertheless,the discharging channel and inhibition zone in the helium-oxygen mixture were constrained inside the electrode area without forming any annulus.A 2D symmetrical model was developed with COMSOL to simulate the spatiotemporal distributions of different particles over the membrane surface,and the result demonstrated that the main components,which formed the annulus inhibition zone under the pure helium condition,contributed to the high concentration of the He^(+)annulus that was formed at the outer edge of the electrode.Moreover,O^(+)and O_(2)^(+)were the main components that killed the bacteria under the helium-oxygen mixture conditions.These results reveal that the homogenization treatment on a material surface via PDBD is closely related to the treatment time and working gas.

Inactivation Mechanisms of Escherichia Coli in Drinking Water Using Reactive Species Generated from a Surface Discharge

Bacterial and chemical contaminations of drinking water imperil the health of people.A reactive species injection method is presented for sterilizing drinking water.To produce reactive species,a gas phase surface discharge reactor(SDR)is designed:a spiral stainless steel wire attached on the inside wall of a quartz glass tube is used as the high voltage electrode,and the drinking water is the ground electrode.The performance and mechanisms of the method in inactivating of Escherichia coli(E.coli)are analyzed.Experimental results show that 500 mL E.coli-contaminated drinking water(108CFU/mL)is completely sterilized within 4 min.Based on the scanning electron microscope(SEM)analysis,there were plasma-induced cell structure damages of the E.coli in the sterilized water,and the damage resulted in the leakage of protein,which was proved by chemical analyses.Meanwhile,the heating effect concomitantly generated by discharge plasma does not influence E.coli inactivation,and the contribution of direct ultraviolet(UV)irradiation could be neglected too.The ozone generated by SDR and the hydroxyl radicals(·OH)subsequently generated in drinking water play the decisive roles in E.coli inactivation because these reactive species cause the cell rupture.

Effect of antenna helicity on discharge characteristics of helicon plasma under a divergent magnetic field

The characteristics of the blue core phenomenon observed in a divergent magnetic field helicon plasma are investigated using two different helical antennas, namely right-handed and lefthanded helical antennas. The mode transition, discharge image, spatial profiles of plasma density and electron temperature are diagnosed using a Langmuir probe, a Nikon D90 camera,an intensified charge-coupled device camera and an optical emission spectrometer, respectively.The results demonstrated that the blue core phenomenon appeared in the upstream region of the discharge tube at a fixed magnetic field under both helical antennas. However, it is more likely to appear in a right-handed helical antenna, in which the plasma density and ionization rate of the helicon plasma are higher. The spatial profiles of the plasma density and electron temperature are also different in both axial and radial directions for these two kinds of helical antenna. The wavelength calculated based on the dispersion relation of the bounded whistler wave is consistent with the order of magnitude of plasma length. It is proved that the helicon plasma is part of the wave mode discharge mechanism.

Research on Discharging Mechanism of Powder Mixed EDM

This paper presents investigations on discharging mechanism in powder mixed EDM.By analyzing the inception, growth of electrical tree and the ignition of discharges in liquid filled gap,the whole discharging process is proposed.It is explored that the reason of modification of ignition behaves by adding fine particle powders of metal or semiconductor to the working liquid.

Microstructures and properties of capacitor discharge welded joint of TiNi shape memory alloy and stainless steel

Microstructures and properties of capacitor discharge welded （CDW） joint of TiNi shape memory alloy （ SMA ） and stainless steel （SS） were studied. The fracture characteristics of the joint were analyzed by means of scanning electron microscope （ SEM）. Microstructures of the joint were examined by means of optical microscope and SEM. The results showed that the teusile strength of the inhomogeneous joint （ TiNi-SS joint） was low and the joint was brittle. Because TiNi SMA and SS melted, a brittle as-cast structure and compound were formed in the weld. The tensile strength and the shape memory effect （SME） of TiNi-SS joint were strongly influenced by the changes of composition and structure of the weld. Measures should be taken to prevent defects from forming and extruding excessive molten metal in the weld for improving the properties of TiNi-SS joint.

Degradation of Benzene by Using a Silent-Packed Bed Hybrid Discharge Plasma Reactor

In this work, a novel gas phase silent-packed bed hybrid discharge plasma reactor has been proposed, and its ability to control a simulative gas stream containing 240 ppm benzene is experimentally investigated. In order to optimize the geometry of the reactor, the benzene conversion rate and energy yield （EY） were compared for various inner electrode diameters and quartz tube shapes and sizes. In addition, benzene removal efficiency in different discharge regions was qualitatively analyzed and the gas parameter （space velocity） was systematically studied. It has been found that silent-packed bed hybrid discharge plasma reactor can effectively decompose benzene. Benzene removal proved to achieve an optimum value of 60% with a characteristic energy density of 255 J/L in this paper with a 6 mm bolt high-voltage electrode and a 13 mm quartz tube. The optimal space velocity was 188.1 h^-1, which resulted in moderate energy yield and removal efficiency. Reaction by-products such as hydroquinone, heptanoic acid, 4-nitrocatechol, phenol and 4-phenoxy-phenol were identified by mean of GC-MS. In addition, based on these organic by-products, a benzene destruction pathway was proposed.

Micro Electrical Discharge Machining Deposition in Air for Fabrication of Micro Spiral Structures

Micro electrical discharge machining（EDM） deposition process is a new micro machining method for fabrication of metal micro structures. In this process, the high level of tool electrode wear is used to achieve the metal material deposition. Up to now, the studies of micro EDM deposition process focused mainly on the researches of deposition process, namely the effects of discharge parameters in deposition process on the deposition rate or deposition quality. The research of the formation of micro structures with different discharge energy density still lacks. With proper conditions and only by the z-axis feeding in vertical direction, a novel shape of micro spiral structure can be deposited, with 0.11 mm in wire diameter, 0.20 mm in outside diameter, and 3.78 mm in height. Then some new deposition strategies including angular deposition and against the gravity deposition were also successful. In order to find the forming mechanism of the spiral structures, the numerical simulation of the transient temperature distribution on the discharge point was conducted by using the finite-element method（FEM）. The results show that there are two major factors lead to the forming of the spiral structures. One is the different material removal form of tool electrode according with the discharge energy density, the other is the influenced degree of the movement of the removed material particles in the discharge gap. The more the energy density in single discharge is, the smaller the mass of the removed material particles is, and the easier the movements of which will be changed to form an order tendency. The fine texture characteristics of the deposited micro spiral structures were analyzed by the energy spectrum analysis and the metallographic analysis. It shows that the components of the deposited material are almost the same as those of the tool electrode. Moreover the deposited material has the brass metallic luster in the longitudinal profile and has compact bonding with the base material. This research is useful to understand the micro-process of micro EDM deposition better and helpful to increase the controllability of the new EDM method for fabrication of micro structures.

Friction and wear behaviors of TiCN coating based on electrical discharge coating

Titanium carbonitride (TiCN) coating was prepared on 45# carbon steel by electrical discharge coating (EDC), and the compositions, morphology and microstructure of the coating were studied. In addition, its friction and wear behaviors relative to the physical vapor deposition (PVD) TiN coating were investigated. The results show that the TiCN coating features a thickness of 15μm with a primary phase of TiC 0.3 N 0.7 . The wear rates of the two coatings have no clear distinction at low applied loads. However, severe abrasive wear appears in the PVD TiN coating when the applied load exceeds 30 N, while the TiCN coating features better wear resistance. The abrasive wear with coating peelings is found to be the predominant wear mechanism at high applied loads.

Modeling and Simulation on the Underwater Trajectory of Non-Powered Vehicle Discharged from the Broadside

In order to study the underwater trajectory of the non-powered vehicle discharged from the broadside of the underwater platform,the simulation on the ascent process of non-powered vehicle was realized based on the mathematical model including the movement of the vehicle on the slope plate and in the seawater,the air chamber underwater working process etc. The simulation results show that the outlet speed and attitude of the vehicle meet the requirements of missile launching,the non-powered vehicle discharged from the broadside of the underwater platform is feasible. The simulation results with varying parameters show that the negative buoyancy of the vehicle imposes great impacts on the security of its discharge and the floating process,and the vehicle discharge depth is proportional to the floating time. The models and simulation result can be used in further research on the broadside discharging technology of the underwater platform.

Anode reaction mechanisms of Na|NaCl-CaCl2|Zn liquid metal battery

Na|NaCl-CaCl_(2)|Zn liquid metal battery is regarded as a promising energy storage system for power grids.Despite intensive attempts to present a real mechanism of metal electrodes reaction, those for Na||Zn LMBs are not clear yet. Herein, the anode reactions for the multiple discharge potential plateaus were deduced by means of FactSage thermochemical software, which were subsequently validated by X-ray diffraction analysis and the modeling of phase transformation in the cooling process. A pre-treatment process was proposed for the analysis of anode product composition using the atomic absorption spectrometry method, and the anode states at working temperature(560 ℃) were obtained by the Na-CaZn ternary phase for the first time. The results indicate the discharge of Na and Ca led to the formation of Ca-Zn intermetallic compounds, whilst the extraction of Ca in Ca-Zn intermetallic compounds was responsible for the multiple discharge plateaus. Moreover, it was found that the charging product was in electrochemical double liquid metal layers, which are composed of Na and Ca with dissolved Zn respectively.

Negative Corona Discharge Ion Source Under Ambient Conditions with Mini Line-cylinder Electrodes

A novel ambient negative corona discharge ion source with mini line-cylinder electrodes is designed. The diameters of inner and outer electrode are 0.16 and 4 mm respectively. With a special assembly method, a perfect coaxiality of the two electrodes is obtained. An injection system utilizing a temperature control technique, achieves a constant and stable concentration of the sample, which is critical to the experiment. The formulas of the corona onset voltage of line-cylinder electrodes are also introduced. The experiment results show that negative substances such as formic acid and acetic acid can be ionized under ambient conditions. When combined with micro electrical mechanical system fabricationprocess, the volume of the ion source can be reduced dramatically, but there is an undesirable surface discharge. To solve the surface discharge problem, an improved structure was designed and tested. The simplicity of the interface of the ion source makes it suitable for mass spectrometer, micro mass spectrometer, ion mobility spectrometer, and high-field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometer applications.

A novel double dielectric barrier discharge reactor with high field emission and secondary electron emission for toluene abatement

Dielectric barrier discharge(DBD)has been extensively investigated in the fields of environment and energy,whereas its practical implementation is still limited due to its unsatisfactory energy efficiency.In order to improve the energy efficiency of DBD,a novel double dielectric barrier discharge(NDDBD)reactor with high field emission and secondary electron emission was developed and compared with traditional DDBD(TDDBD)configuration.Firstly,the discharge characteristics of the two DDBD reactors were analyzed.Compared to TDDBD,the NDDBD reactor exhibited much stronger discharge intensity,higher transferred charge,dissipated power and gas temperature due to the effective utilization of cathode field emission and secondary electron emission.Subsequently,toluene abatement performance of the two reactors was evaluated.The toluene decomposition efficiency and mineralization rate of NDDBD were much higher than that of TDDBD,which were 86.44%-100%versus 28.17%-80.48%and 17.16%-43.42%versus 7.17%-16.44%at 2.17-15.12 W and 1.24-4.90 W respectively.NDDBD also exhibited higher energy yield than TDDBD,whereas the overall energy constant k_(overall)of the two reactors were similar.Finally,plausible toluene decomposition pathway in TDDBD and NDDBD was suggested based on organic intermediates that generated from toluene degradation.The finding of this study is expected to provide reference for the design and optimization of DBD reactor for volatile organic compounds control and other applications.

Characterization and Tribological Performance of Titanium Nitrides in Situ Grown on Ti6Al4V Alloy by Glow Discharge Plasma Nitriding

Titanium(Ti)nitrides were in situ grown on Ti6Al4V alloy(TA)using a glow discharge plasma nitriding(GDPN).The morphology,chemical composition,phase and mechanical property of the obtained nitrided TA were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope(SEM),energy dispersive spectroscope(EDS),X-ray diffraction(XRD),and nanoindentation tester,respectively.The tribological performances of un-nitrided and nitrided TAs were evaluated using a ball-on-plate wear tester,and the wear mechanism was also discussed in detail.The results show that the nitrided layer with the compound and diffusion layers is formed on the nitrided TA,which is composed of δ-TiN and a-Ti phases.The nanohardness and elastic modulus of nitrided TA are 6.05 and 143.13 GPa,respectively,higher than those of un-nitrided TA.The friction reduction and anti-wear performances of nitrided TA are better than those of un-nitrided TA,and the wear mechanism is primary abrasive wear,accompanying with adhesive wear,which is attributed to the formation of Ti nitrides with the high nanohardness and elastic modulus.

OH and O radicals production in atmospheric pressure air/Ar/H_2O gliding arc discharge plasma jet

Atmospheric pressure air/Ar/H_2O gliding arc discharge plasma is produced by a pulsed dc power supply. An optical emission spectroscopic（OES） diagnostic technique is used for the characterization of plasmas and for identifications of OH and O radicals along with other species in the plasmas. The OES diagnostic technique reveals the excitation Tx？≈？5550–9000 K, rotational Tr？≈？1350–2700 K and gas Tg？≈？850–1600 K temperatures, and electron density n？（1.1-1.9） ′101 4 cm^（-3） e under different experimental conditions. The production and destruction of OH and O radicals are investigated as functions of applied voltage and air flow rate. Relative intensities of OH and O radicals indicate that their production rates are increased with increasing Ar content in the gas mixture and applied voltage. nereveals that the higher densities of OH and O radicals are produced in the discharge due to more effective electron impact dissociation of H_2O and O_2 molecules caused by higher kinetic energies as gained by electrons from the enhanced electric field as well as by enhanced n e.The productions of OH and O are decreasing with increasing air flow rate due to removal of Joule heat from the discharge region but enhanced air flow rate significantly modifies discharge maintenance properties. Besides, Tgsignificantly reduces with the enhanced air flow rate. This investigation reveals that Ar plays a significant role in the production of OH and O radicals.

Comparison of Formation Mechanism Between Helium and Argon Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jets

To compare the formation mechanisms of He and Ar atmospheric pressure plasma jets(APPJs),an intensified charge-coupled device(ICCD)are utilized to observe the dynamic process of APPJ.The experimental results show that,He APPJ is first ignited,which is independent of the dielectric barrier discharge(DBD)between the two wrapped electrodes when the high voltage placed at the downstream.The intensity and APPJ length under positive discharge pulses are bigger than that under negative discharge pulses due to the space charge effect.The He APPJ is formed by the DBD development when the high-voltage electrode placed at the upstream side of tube.However,the plasma plume in Ar APPJ is formed by the propagation of DBD whatever the high-voltage electrode is arranged on upstream or downstream side of ground electrode.The difference in formation mechanism between He and Ar APPJs is mainly caused by the gas properties.Moreover,during the discharges,Ar tends to lead to thermal instability and electron Maxwellian instability.