Plasma processing apparatus

Abstract

A plasma processing apparatus includes a main body that has an inlet for a purification target gas and an outlet for a purified gas, an insulator honeycomb that includes a plurality of cells that are partitioned by a partition wall and serve as gas passages, a conductor honeycomb that is disposed to be able to transmit heat to the insulator honeycomb, a discharge electrode that is disposed opposite to the conductor honeycomb and forms a pair of electrodes with the conductor honeycomb, and a pulse power supply that applies a pulse voltage between the pair of electrodes, the insulator honeycomb, the conductor honeycomb, and the discharge electrode being disposed in an inner space of the main body. The plasma processing apparatus generates plasma by applying a pulse voltage to promote purification of the purification target gas in the insulator honeycomb by utilizing heat generated by plasma.

1 . A plasma processing apparatus comprising a main body that has an inlet for a purification target gas and an outlet for a purified gas, an insulator honeycomb that includes a plurality of cells that are partitioned by a partition wall and serve as gas passages and purifies the purification target gas, a catalyst being supported on the partition wall, a conductor honeycomb that is disposed to be able to transmit heat to the insulator honeycomb and includes a plurality of cells that are partitioned by a partition wall and serve as gas passages, a discharge electrode that is disposed opposite to the conductor honeycomb and forms a pair of electrodes with the conductor honeycomb, and a pulse power supply that applies a pulse voltage between the pair of electrodes to generate plasma between the pair of electrodes, the insulator honeycomb, the conductor honeycomb, and the discharge electrode being disposed in an inner space of the main body. 
   
   
       2 . The plasma processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the discharge electrode, the conductor honeycomb, and the insulator honeycomb are disposed in this order from the inlet to the outlet of the main body. 
   
   
       3 . The plasma processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the conductor honeycomb is disposed to physically come in contact with the insulator honeycomb. 
   
   
       4 . The plasma processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the conductor honeycomb is disposed to come in contact with a purification target gas inlet side of the insulator honeycomb. 
   
   
       5 . The plasma processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the conductor honeycomb is embedded in part of a purification target gas inlet side of the insulator honeycomb. 
   
   
       6 . The plasma processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the insulator honeycomb includes an insulating ceramic. 
   
   
       7 . The plasma processing apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the insulator honeycomb includes cordierite. 
   
   
       8 . The plasma processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the conductor honeycomb includes a conductive ceramic. 
   
   
       9 . The plasma processing apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the conductive ceramic includes silicon carbide. 
   
   
       10 . The plasma processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a catalyst is supported on the partition wall of the conductor honeycomb. 
   
   
       11 . The plasma processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a discharge end of the discharge electrode is a needle-like electrode or a rod-like electrode. 
   
   
       12 . The plasma processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a pulse half-width of the pulse power supply for generating plasma can be controlled to 1 μs or less.