Author answer regarding reviewer question on manuscript:

Kinetic Modeling of Plasma Methane Conversion using Gliding Arc

Antonius Indarto, Jae-Wook Choi, Hwaung Lee, and Hyung Keun Song

1st reviewer:

1. The authors said in the article that the plasma reaction of methane to hydrogen,
acetylene and carbon is an exothermic reaction, please give a specification of the
conclusion. As all known that the decomposition of methane is endothermic reaction
from thermodynamic analysis.
Answer:
Actually the conclusion that gliding plasma reaction is exothermic reaction because the
heat that is produced itself. The experiment shows that the outlet gas temperature has
increased around 30-50oC. If we just consider the increasing heat just coming from
external AC power supply, and it is applied to equation 6 and 8, the increment of
temperature will be much lower than the reality (in the manuscript, it stated just 20-30%
contribution to the increment of temperature). So, from where the rest energy to make
the temperature increase 70%-80% more comes? By calculation, it is almost exactly that
it comes from the reaction. In order to make it into less ambiguous, the author has
changed the sentence form to make it clear that 70%-80% of increasing temperature was
caused by exothermic reaction.

2. Some mistakes were made in Figure 6 and Figure 7. In Figure 6c and Figure 7c it is
not clear which is the simulation one or the experimental data.
Answer:
Author thanks to the reviewer for the very precise checking and it has been changed in
the revised manuscript.

3. The measurements of voltage and current are coarse.

Answer:
In term of voltage and current measurement, these following steps have been done by
the author:
- In all experiment, trigger factor of oscilloscope has been turned off. The fluctuation
of both voltage and current form is very fluctuated due to arc forming.
- All the measurement was done after the stable condition both temperature and
 fluctuated wave form. This is to maintain that the data could be trusted and
reproducibility could be got also.
- Capturing the data was done at least two times for every running. In means, if we do
duplo (two running for one point), we’ll get at least 4 comparison points. And based
on our experience during the experiment, the difference among the data is quite
small.
- To calculate the total power consumed we use equation 4. We take this terminology
on calculation the consumed power from the paper that used the same power supply
(AC power supply) and we have done this to the other experiment. Some papers that
we have published used the similar method.
Although it is not specifically pointed in the manuscript, the measurement of voltage
and current is important. This is used to measure the quantity of external power that
supplied to the plasma system which is used in equation 6 and 8. Without this
measurement, temperature simulation could not be done.

4. The unit used in this article such as Nl/min should be transfer to international
standard unit.
Answer:
Once more, author thanks to the reviewer for the recommendation. Author already put
the equivalent of this dimension to the international standard (see page 4). Following 2 nd
author, the dimension has been changed from Nl/min to L/min. The reason why the
author didn’t change it into SI unit is, as seen in page 4, the format is quite difficult to
be captured by reader which appears uncommon with 10-5 basis. It is easier for the
reader to understand and imagine in format of L/min which give shorter form, such as 1
L/min or 1.5 L/min.

5. English grammar should be revised slightly.

Answer:
Author has checked the English writing and some changes have been done in revised
manuscript.

2nd reviewer:

1. Please the author gives the meaning of n, k in equation (5).

Answer:
Author thanks to the reviewer for the recommendation. In this modified Arrhenius
equation, n means the order of temperature relative to the reaction constant and k means
reaction constant. All description has been added in the revised manuscript in part of
‘Nomenclature’.

2. There is a spelling mistake in “ΔHf, reactan” in equation (6).

Answer:
Author thanks to the reviewer for the very precise checking and it has been changed in
the revised manuscript.

n
3. In Table 1, what’s the meaning of the sentence of “ k = AT exp(− E / RTr ) , in cm,

kJ, s, and mole units”. And what are the units of A, n, E in Table 1.
Answer:
By the following the reaction list sources (ref. 32 -34), k has dimension [s-1], A=[cm3
mol-1 s-1], T=[K], E=[kJ mol-1]. All variable units have been added in the revised
manuscript (below the table 1).

4. There are some mistakes in Figure 6, 7. In Figure 6, the figure (d) is designated as
(b), please revise it; In Figure 7, the Figure 7(c) is designated as Figure 7(b), please
revise it.
Answer:
Author thanks to the reviewer for the very precise checking and it has been changed in
the revised manuscript.

5. The unit of flow rate (Nl/min), please revise it to L/min.

Answer:
Author thanks to the reviewer for the comment and recommendation. The unit of flow
has been changed in the revised manuscript from Nl/min into L/min.