Methods and apparatus for decomposing constituent elements of fluids

A decomposing and collection apparatus for use with a fluid, comprising:

• an assembly for generating ions via applying atmospheric pressure, low temperature plasma to the fluid and separating the generated ions, the assembly including multiple plasma generator and separator units that are vertically stacked relative to each other, each of the multiple plasma generator and separator units including:
• a plasma generator for generating the atmospheric pressure, low temperature plasma, the plasma generator including a first electrode covered at least in part with a first dielectric layer and a second electrode covered at least in part with a second dielectric layer and disposed such that a predetermined gap separates the first and second dielectric layers, the plasma generator also including a power supply configured to supply electrical power to the first and second electrodes at a predetermined voltage and frequency, such that, based on the predetermined gap between the first and second dielectric layers, atmospheric pressure, low temperature plasma is generated such that positively and negatively ions are ejected from the plasma generator;
• and
• a separator disposed to receive the positively and negatively ions ejected from the plasma generator, the separator including:
• a first separator electrode;
• a second separator electrode spaced from the first separator electrode;
• and a separator power supply that supplies electric power in the form of at least one of different voltages and different polarities to the first and second separator electrodes ranging from 0 kV and 10 kV, such that the received positively charged ions are redirected in one direction and the received negatively charged ions are redirected to another direction different from the one direction;
• and
• a collector configured to collect at least one of the redirected positively charged ions and the negatively charged ions.