Non-thermal plasma reactor having individually retained positive and negative reactor plates

• US 6,797,241 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2000
• Issued: 09/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Foster, Michael Ralph
• Primary Examiner(s): Mayekar, Kishor
• Application Number:
  US09/742,674
• Publication Number:
  US 20020076371A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,378 Days
• Field of Search: 422/186.04
• US Class Current: 422/186.04
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/088 giving rise to electric discharges for heating purposes H05B7/00; for the production of ozone C01B13/11, H01T19/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/249 Plate-type reactors
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00155 using insulating materials or refractories
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0813 employing four electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0835 substantially flat
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0875 Gas
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0896 Cold plasma
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/2453 Plates arranged in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/2458 Flat plates, i.e. plates which are not corrugated or otherwise structured, e.g. plates with cylindrical shape
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/2467 Additional heat exchange means, e.g. electric resistance heaters, coils
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/2493 Means for assembling plates together, e.g. sealing means, screws, bolts
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/2498 Additional structures inserted in the channels, e.g. plates, catalyst holding meshes
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/0892 Electric or magnetic treatment, e.g. dissociation of noxious components electric filters F01N3/01; regeneration of exhaust filters F01N3/023; heating catalytic converters F01N3/2006

Abstract

A non-thermal plasma reactor and method provides individually retained reactor plates. The method comprises stacking an alternating sequence of positive and negative reactor plates to form a reactor stack, placing temporary spacers between the positive and negative reactor plates. In one embodiment, individually retained reactor plates are secured by folds of a ceramic insulating layer extending between plate pairs, with reactor plates secured by the stack retention material and the folds of the ceramic insulting layer. In a second embodiment, individually retained reactor plates are secured with a permanent pleated insulting mica separator disposed on each side of the reactor. In a third embodiment, a retention material extends slightly into the exhaust gas passage at each side of the stack supplying permanent support for the stacked plates.

Claims

1. A non-thermal plasma reactor having individually retained plates comprising:

a housing containing a stack comprising an alternating sequence of pairs of positive and negative reactor plates;

exhaust gas passages defined between said pairs of positive and negative plates by folds of an insulating layer disposed on each side of said stack, said folds of said insulating layer extending into said exhaust channels, said exhaust gas passages being free of permanent individual ceramic spacers;

an insulating retention material wrapped around said stack;

suitable electrical connections provided to said plates;

suitable inlet and outlet connections provided to said housing;

wherein said reactor plates are secured by said insulating layer enabling individual pairs of said plates to expand or contract independently of one another during operation.

2. The reactor of claim 1, wherein said insulating layer comprises an insulating ceramic fiber material or a green layer of tape cast ceramic material.

3. A non-thermal plasma reactor having individually retained plates comprising:

a housing containing a stack comprising an alternating sequence of pairs of positive and negative reactor plates defining exhaust gas passages between said pairs of positive and negative plates;

permanent pleated insulating separators disposed on each side of said stack;

wherein pleats of said permanent pleated insulating separator extend between opposing pairs of said plates defining said exhaust passage height, said exhaust gas passages being free of permanent individual ceramic spacers;

an insulating retention material wrapped around said stack;

suitable electrical connections provided to said plates;

suitable inlet and outlet connections provided to said housing;

wherein said reactor plates are secured by said insulating retention material in combination with said permanent pleated insulating separators enabling individual pairs of said plates to expand or contract independently of one another during operation.

4. The reactor of claim 3, wherein said ceramic retention material extends over sides of said reactor to partially cover reactor top and bottom surfaces, said ceramic retention material resiliently compressing said plates against said permanent pleated insulating separators.

5. The reactor of claim 3, wherein said permanent pleated insulating separators comprises a pair of separators each having a plurality of pleats, one member of each pair being disposed on each side of said reactor.

6. The reactor of claim 3, wherein said permanent pleated insulating separators comprise a plurality of discrete pleated separators disposed between said plate pairs.

7. The reactor of claim 3, wherein said retention material extends over sides of said reactor, partially covering top and bottom surfaces of said reactor, said retention material resiliently compressing said plate pairs against said permanent pleated insulating spacers.

8. The reactor of claim 3, wherein said permanent pleated insulating separator comprises mica, mica sheet, tape-cast ceramic material in the “

green”

state, or molded rigidized ceramic fiber.

9. The reactor of claim 3, further comprising:

a rigid ceramic insulating filler disposed at top and bottom ends of said stack plates.

10. A non-thermal plasma reactor having individually retained plates comprising:

a housing containing an alternating sequence of pairs of positive and negative reactor plates forming a stack;

exhaust gas passages defined between said pairs of positive and negative plates, said exhaust gas passages being free of permanent individual ceramic spacers;

an insulating retention material wrapped around said stack and extending into said exhaust gas passages at opposite sides of said stack;

suitable electrical connections provided to said plates;

suitable inlet and outlet connections provided to said housing;

wherein said reactor plates are secured by said insulating retention material enabling individual pairs of said plates to expand or contract independently of one another during operation.

11. The reactor of claim 10, further comprising:

a rigid plate disposed at top and bottom ends of said stacked plates.

12. The reactor of claim 11, wherein said rigid plate is a mica plate.