Development of an Inverter Topology Using the Transformer Leakage Parameters for Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma Reactor

In this research article, a novel inverter design was developed to enable higher efficiency and higher power density in dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma reactor for gas conversion. DBD plasma reactors generate nonthermal plasmas that enable electrified chemical production, including syngas synthesis from CO2, ammonia synthesis, and dry reforming of methane. Achieving high conversion efficiency requires optimization of the specific energy input (SEI) while maintaining overall energy efficiency. Plasma catalysis, however, is highly sensitive to discharge homogeneity, where minor variations in system parameters can significantly alter performance. One of the important aspects of overall performance is the plasma driver and the conventional AC power supplies for DBD applications are bulky, cascaded, cost-inefficient, and typically achieve less than 70% efficiency at rated power. Inaccuracies in SEI estimation further arise when inverter efficiency is neglected. The proposed inverter utilizes transformer secondary leakage parameters to improve performance. The inverter achieves efficiencies above 80%, doubles the power density for a rated output of$1{\,}\mathrm {kW}$, and reduces inverter cost by approximately 30%. Experimental validation was performed on a coaxial-bed DBD reactor operated at$160{\,}\mathrm {kHz}$,$14{\,}\mathrm {kV}$, and$350{\,}\mathrm {W}$, achieving an efficiency of 84%. These results demonstrate the potential of the proposed inverter to enhance DBD plasma processes, while further investigation into discharge characteristics at full rated power are still under investigation.