A novel atmospheric microwave plasma source based on circular waveguide with double ridges for nitrogen fixation

Abstract The rectangular tapered waveguide is the most widely used atmospheric microwave plasma source because of its simple structure, reliable performance, and low cost. However, due to the small generated plasma volume and short residence time, this plasma source has low energy efficiency in gas conversion applications such as nitrogen fixation and methane reforming. This paper proposes a novel atmospheric-pressure microwave plasma source based on a circular waveguide to enlarge the plasma volume. Firstly, the microwave working mode in the circular waveguide is analyzed based on the electromagnetic theory. By optimizing the waveguide dimension and loading double metal ridges into the waveguide, the electric field will work in a superposition mode of TE 111 and TM 010 modes, focus on the discharge area, and reach its maximum intensity there. Secondly, this device is manufactured and used to generate plasma in different conditions. Compared with the rectangular tapered waveguide, this device can generate larger plasmas under the same conditions. Finally, an atmospheric microwave plasma experimental system is built for nitrogen fixation. Measured results show that the proposed device has higher nitrogen fixation production and lower energy cost compared to the rectangular tapered waveguide. Moreover, the proposed device is easy to cascade, thereby it has great potential for promotion in industrial applications.