Plasma in aqueous methanol: Influence of plasma initiation mechanism on hydrogen production

This study presents a method of H2 produced by discharge plasma direct in aqueous methanol and explains how to achieve efficient H2 production in liquid phase. A high flow rate and a low energy consumption of H2 production are achieved by alternating current (AC) discharge, which is generated in a gas bubble pre-produced by joule heat. No soot is formed during the discharge process to ensure that H2 production can proceed continually and stably. The energy conversion efficiency of AC discharge in aqueous methanol for H2 production is close to 70 % and the feed cost per100 km is about euro2.9 combined with fuel cell, indicating a great prospect in vehicle application.