Probe into methanol and ethanol mixtures oxidative reforming in gliding arc discharge plasma and kinetic model

•A GAD reactor was used to produce H2 from a mixture of methanol and ethanol.•The energy yield for H2 reached 84.6 L·kWh−1.•A 0-D kinetic model was developed to explore the mechanism.•The impact of O/C on the main formation and loss reactions were investigated. A plasma reactor utilizing gliding arc discharge (GAD) was created for the purpose of partial oxidative reforming (POR) a mixture of methanol and ethanol to produce H2. This study explored that the molar ratio of oxygen to carbon (O/C), the mass ratio of methanol to ethanol, residence time, and input power influenced the POR reaction. With an O/C ratio of 0.5, a methanol-to-ethanol mass ratio of 1:1, an input power of 42 W, and a residence time of 30 s, the energy yield for H2 reached 84.6 L·kWh−1, with H2 and CO as the main products. Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES) was employed to diagnose GAD plasma. A zero-dimensional (0-D) kinetic model was developed, showing good agreement with experimental data. The conversion mechanisms for methanol and ethanol, along with the generation and consumption of products, were thoroughly analyzed. The conversion of methanol and ethanol occurs mainly through H-atom collisions. The main pathway for H2 production originates from the recombination reactions of H· radicals with hydrocarbons such as CH2·, CH4, C2H3·, and C2H6. [Display omitted]