Plasma Reforming of Diesel Fuel

The use of a plasma reformer for the generation of hydrogen rich gas from diesel fuel has been investigated. A system that is normally used for investigating natural gas reforming has been modified in order to investigate the reforming of heavy liquid fuels. The composition of the reformate has been investigated as a function of the composition of the reagents. The use of a one-step reformer/water shifter was studied. Good reforming, with no noticeable soot production, was obtained. The specific energy consumption was equal to that previously obtained with methane reforming, with much reduced concentration of methane in the reformate. 1. Introduction. Thermal plasma technology can be efficiently used in the production of hydrogen and hydrogen-rich gases from methane and a variety of fuels [1-3]. The thermal plasma is a highly energetic state of matter that is characterized by extremely high temperatures (several thousand degrees Celsius) and high degree of dissociation and substantial degree of ionization. The hig