Stability investigation and techno-economic assessment of gliding arc plasma coupled electrocatalytic ammonia synthesis system

The plasma-coupled electrocatalytic cascade technology with NO_x⁻ as intermediate product is a potential method to realize green ammonia synthesis. The matching of the formation rate and consumption rate of NO₂⁻ as the main absorption product is an important prerequisite for the system to achieve stable operation. Therefore, this paper firstly emphasizes the importance of operating parameters on the cascade system based on the single factor experiment. Secondly, the empirical equation between electrocatalytic operating conditions and NO₂⁻ consumption rate was established by response surface analysis. Based on this equation, the electrocatalytic operating parameters were optimized to achieve the dynamic equilibrium between NO₂⁻ formation rate and consumption rate. Finally, the techno-economic assessment model was established to calculate the levelized cost of ammonia based on the cascade system, and the single-variable sensitivity analysis was performed to provide the clear guidance for cost reduction.