Gliding arc plasma-assisted conversion of gas mixture from efficient porous media combustion

• Porous media combustion was efficiently combined with gliding arc discharge plasma. • Plasma greatly enhanced the conversion of methane and carbon dioxide. • Secondary blending of methane improved the syngas concentration. • Increased input voltage contributed to promoting the plasma conversion effect. Non-thermal plasma (NTP) technology demonstrates considerable potential for the modulation of gas components under mild conditions. To effectively utilize the CH 4 and CO 2 in porous media combustion products, this study constructed a synergistic system integrating a porous media burner with a gliding arc discharge (GAD) plasma reactor. The effects of porous media structural parameters, fuel additives, plasma parameters, and process enhancement strategies on combustion characteristics and plasma conversion were investigated. The results reveal that the alumina pellet structures produce higher syngas concentrations in Structure II (8 mm) with 14.1% H 2 and 57.8% energy efficiency at φ =1.5. Conversely, the silicon carbide foam structures achieve higher flame temperatures and more complete methane conversion in Structure V (20 PPI) with 96% CH 4 conversion at φ =1.6. Furthermore, the input voltage significantly influences the GAD plasma conversion and the optimal CH 4 and CO 2 conversion efficiencies of 37.5% and 32.1% are obtained at 6 kV. For a larger nozzle-to-blade distance ( D = 20 mm) and blade curvature (R200), the gas reforming is significantly enhanced. And secondary methane addition and gas recirculation proved to be effective for process intensification, gaining a final H 2 concentration of 21.7% after three cycles. The findings establish a theoretical foundation for the production of syngas from combustion gases using a synergistically coupled porous media and plasma system.