Efficient dissociation of water vapor in arrays of microchannel plasma devices

Abstract

The invention provides methods and systems for water dissociation with microplasma generated in microchannel plasma arrays or chips. Preferred methods and systems introduce water vapor into a microchannel plasma array. Electrical power is applied to the microchannel plasma array to create a plasma chemical reaction of the water vapor in the microchannel plasma array. Dissociated hydrogen and/or oxygen gas is collected at an output of the microchannel plasma array. The water vapor can be entrained in a carrier gas, but is preferably introduced without carrier gas. Direct introduction of water vapor has been demonstrated to provide efficiencies at an above 60%. The use of carrier gas reduces efficiency, but still exceeds efficiencies of prior methods discussed in the background.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.