Plasma reactor and method of operating a plasma reactor

A plasma reactor (1) for decomposing a hydrocarbon fluid, comprising:

• a reactor chamber (2) surrounded by a reactor wall (3, 3a, 3b) and having at least one hydrocarbon inlet (5) and one outlet (15);
• a plasma torch (7) having at least two electrodes, which have a base part (9) fixed to the reactor wall (3, 3a, 3b) at a first end and which have at a second end a burner part (11), which projects into the reactor chamber (2), and wherein a plasma zone (13) is defined at the end of the burner parts (11) of adjacent electrodes;
• wherein the hydrocarbon inlet (5) opens into the reactor chamber (2) in a region between the plasma zone and the outlet (15);
• and
• wherein the hydrocarbon inlet (5) is oriented toward the plasma zone (13) such that outflowing hydrocarbon fluid is directed toward the plasma zone (13) wherein the hydrocarbon inlet (5) is formed by a bundle of hydrocarbon conduits (18-1, . . . , 18-n), wherein the bundle of hydrocarbon conduits (18-1, . . . , 18-n) is attached to the reactor wall (3, 3a, 3b) at a first end, and wherein each hydrocarbon conduit (18-1, . . . , 18-n) has a dispensing opening (21-1, 21-n) for hydrocarbon fluid at an opposite second end;
• and wherein the individual hydrocarbon conduits (18-1, . . . , 18-n) comprise dispensing openings (21-1, . . . , 21-n) having a flow area of different size;
• wherein the bundle of hydrocarbon conduits (18-1, . . . , 18-n) is shaped such that each of the dispensing openings (21-1, . . . , 21-n) for hydrocarbon fluid is oriented toward the plasma zone;
• and
• wherein an output of hydrocarbon fluid from the individual hydrocarbon conduits (18-1, . . . , 18-n) of the bundle is separately controllable by means of valves.

A method for operating a plasma reactor (1) for decomposing a hydrocarbon fluid, wherein the plasma reactor (1) comprises a reactor chamber (2) which is surrounded by a reactor wall (3, 3a, 3b) and comprises at least one hydrocarbon inlet (5) and an outlet (15);

• wherein a plasma torch (7) having at least two electrodes is disposed in the reactor chamber (2), and wherein a plasma zone (13) is defined at the end of adjacent elongated electrodes;
• the method comprising the steps of:
• introducing hydrocarbon fluid toward the plasma zone (13) into a region of the reactor chamber (2) between the plasma zone (13) and the outlet (15), and decomposing the hydrocarbon fluid into carbon particles and hydrogen;
• varying at least one parameter of introduction of hydrocarbon fluid;
• determining a correlation between a particle size of the carbon particles and the at least one parameter of introduction of hydrocarbon fluid during the step of varying, wherein the correlation is determined by continuously measuring the particle size is and, at the same time, individually varying operating parameters, and creating a map which represents the relationship between the particle size and the varied operating parameters.

The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

• the steps of affecting a distribution of the size of the carbon particles based on the correlation such that a small portion of the carbon particles is sufficiently large to travel through the plasma zone (13);
• depositing a portion of the carbon particles on the electrode ends;
• measuring the time of introduction of hydrocarbon fluid and the thickness of the deposition of the carbon particles on the electrode ends;
• and modifying the flow velocity at which the hydrocarbon fluid is introduced, such that the deposition of the carbon on the electrode ends occurs as rapidly as the erosion of the electrode due to sublimation of the carbon.