[Scale-up study on pulse corona discharge for the removal of toluene]

The scale-up experiments of the decomposition of toluene by pulse corona discharge in wire-plate reactor were investigated. The maximum output power of pulse voltage source was 1 kW, and the maximal peak voltage was 100 kV. The experiments were conducted with a gas-flow rate of 4-16 m3 x h(-1). Different parameters which influenced on removal efficiency were investigated, such as peak voltage, pulse frequency, inlet concentration of toluene, gas-flow rate. The results showed that the removal efficiency was improved obviously when the peak field intensity was changed in the range of 9-12 kV x cm(-1); the removal efficiency 88% was obtained when gas-flow rate, peak voltage, inlet concentration of toluene, pulse frequency were 4 m3 x h(-1), 69 kV, 1180 mg x m(-3), 300 pps respectively. The energy yield of toluene was about 16 g x (kW x h)(-1); the main products of decomposition were CO2 and H2O, few of CO. Combining the removal efficiency of toluene with energy density and inlet concentration of toluene, a reaction kinetic mathematic model was developed. By this model, the decomposition rate constant of toluene was 0.00356 L x J(-1). According to the results, the optimization design for the reactor and the matching of pulse voltage source were reckoned.