%0 Journal Article %A Meguernes, K. %A Chapelle, J. %A Czernichowski, A. %D 2001 %I Begell House %N 3 %P 12 %R 10.1615/HighTempMatProc.v5.i3.90 %T VALORIZATION OF METHANE IN ELECTRIC ARCS AND HIGH PRESSURE COLD DISCHARGES %U https://www.dl.begellhouse.com/journals/57d172397126f956,3f6e18f522979e73,0f8f70c819c785ef.html %V 5 %X A catalytic conversion of the natural gas in liquid hydrocarbons is studied and used since many years. Generally, it is done in two steps: conversion of the natural gas in the synthesis gas by catalytic oxidation of methane ("steam reforming") and conversion of the synthesis gas in liquid hydrocarbons by the Fischer-Tropsch process. In this paper, we show that the production of the synthesis gas from methane, in presence of the carbon dioxide or water steam, is possible at atmospheric pressure without catalysts in an electric transferred arc or atmospheric pressure cold discharge like the gliding arc [GLIDARC]. The transferred arc allows obtaining a conversion rate of methane higher than that in the GLIDARC, but with a lower energetic efficiency. The gliding arc reactors have a structure well adapted to the gas injection, notably for the oxidation of CH4 by the water steam at relatively low temperature (350°C) without formation of the soot. %8 2001-09-01