Hydrogen Production From Aerosol Ethanol in Nanosecond Pulsed Discharge: Effect of Pulse Parameters

ABSTRACT Ethanol conversion in a nanosecond pulsed discharge is investigated by varying pulse width, repetition frequency, interelectrode gap, and ethanol injection rate in an argon‐ethanol plasma. The parameter sweep shows the plasma operates in a spark regime and reveals how energy deposition and discharge memory effect control gas heating and electron‐induced ethanol fragmentation. Longer pulses, wider gaps, and higher frequencies enhance conversion through increased energy delivery, whereas ethanol injection rate has only a minor effect on plasma characteristics. A maximum conversion of 33.5% occurs at a 4 mm gap, 250 ns pulse width, 8 kHz frequency, and 50 µL min⁻¹ injection rate. Product selectivity remains consistent across conditions and matches pyrolysis‐model pathways, indicating the plasma heating process dominates product formation.