A reactor for reactive co-conversion of heavy hydrocarbons and hydrocarbon gases
and includes a dielectric barrier discharge plasma cell having a pair of electrodes
separated by a dielectric material and passageway therebetween. An inlet is provided
for feeding heavy hydrocarbons and other reactive materials to the passageway of
the discharge plasma cell, and an outlet is provided for discharging reaction products
from the reactor. A packed bed catalyst may optionally be used in the reactor to
increase efficiency of conversion. The reactor can be modified to allow use of
a variety of light sources for providing ultraviolet light within the discharge
plasma cell. Methods for upgrading heavy hydrocarbons are also disclosed.
