Patent ID: 7855513

Claim:
A plasma reactor for the treatment of a gas, comprising: a gas inlet for receiving the gas prior to treatment; a discharge chamber connected to the gas inlet and having a first electrode, a second electrode, and a dielectric positioned adjacent to the first and second electrodes, wherein the discharge chamber is adapted to receive the gas from the gas inlet; a circuit in electrical communication with the discharge chamber for creating a pulsed electrical potential between the first electrode and the second electrode at a voltage and current capable of producing a corona discharge having surface streamers and gas streamers; and a gas outlet connected to the discharge chamber for releasing gas from the plasma reactor after treatment; wherein surface portions of the dielectric are substantially perpendicular to the first and second electrodes such that an electric field between the first and second electrodes is substantially parallel to the surface portions; wherein the first electrode, second electrode, and dielectric are configured such that a width of the discharge chamber is equal to one-half or less times the length of the discharge chamber so as to constrain the formation of gas streamers between the first electrode and the second electrode such that a greater portion of overall energy density within the discharge chamber is due to the surface streamers than is due to the gas streamers.