PLASMUS Project

Sustainable carbon-free, plasma-enriched ammonia combustion technology (PLASMUS)

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): 10.54499/2023.16431.ICDT

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Project Overview

The PLASMUS project aims to redefine NH3 (Ammonia) as a sustainable fuel source for industries currently dependent on natural gas. By integrating Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) plasma actuators for active flow control, the project develops a novel burner and combustion chamber to increase flame stability with low energy consumption.

Technical Objectives

• NOx Reduction: Target a 15% reduction in global NOx emissions.
• Flame Stability: Aim to expand the flame stability region and performance by at least 10%.
• Scientific Advancement: Development of the first experimental DBD plasma-assisted Ammonia burner.

Funding & Partner Budgets

The project is co-funded by the European Union (FEDER) and National Funds through the FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia).

Partner / Beneficiary	Budget Allocation
Universidade da Beira Interior (UBI) – Promoter	125,280.00 €
IDMEC – Instituto de Engenharia Mecânica – Partner	122,040.00 €
Total Project Financing	247,320.00 €

Project Identification

Operation Code	COMPETE2030-FEDER-00721300
Execution Period	01/10/2025 to 29/09/2028
Principal Investigator	Mohammadmahdi Abdollahzadehsangroudi

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Project Publicity & Mandatory Documentation

Official technical data and publicity poster for this operation (Ficha de Operação / Cartaz Vertical):

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Key Performance Indicators (KPI) & Scientific Output

Progress against approved targets monitored during execution:

• Job Creation: 1.73 Annual FTE (Research positions).
• Intellectual Property: 1 Patent application target.
• Scientific Production: 10 Peer-reviewed publications target.

Open Positions

• one research fellowship for BSc, Master student or a graduated students enrolled in a non-academic degree course (BI), Reference: UBI/PLASMUS/01-2026, Fellowship duration: 3 month (apply)
• one Research fellowship for MSc, PhD student or a graduated students enrolled in a non-academic degree course (BI), Reference: UBI/PLASMUS/01-2025, Fellowship duration: 31 month (apply)
• one Research Studentship for PhD students, within the framework of project PLASMUS, ref. 16065 – LISBOA2030-FEDER-0072130, Reference: BI 39.PL738.2025.IDMEC , Fellowship duration: 12 month (apply)
• one Research Studentship for PhD students, within the framework of project PLASMUS, ref. 16065 – LISBOA2030-FEDER-00721300, Reference: BI 03.PL738.2026.IDMEC, Fellowship duration: 12 month (apply)

Published Materials

• Bagherighajari, F., Abdollahzadehsangroudi, M., & Pascoa, J. C. ,Comparative Analysis of Thermal, Chemical, and Aerodynamic Pathways in DBD Plasma-Assisted Bluff-Body Flames, Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Fluid Flow, Heat and Mass Transfer (FFHMT 2026) June, 2026 | Barcelona, Spain, Paper No. 180, DOI: 10.11159/ffhmt26.180
• Bagherighajari, F., Abdollahzadehsangroudi, M., & Pascoa, J. C. (2026). Surface dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuators for flame stabilization and combustion control: mechanisms, design trends, and future directions. Fuel, 424, 139348.
• Shvydyuk, K. O., Freire Rodrigues, F. M., & Pereira Silva, A. (2025, November). Investigation of the Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma Actuators Degradation in High Temperature Environments. In ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition (Vol. 89343, p. V003T06A004). American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
• Shvydyuk, K. O., Mbanguine, L. A., Páscoa, J. C., & Rodrigues, F. F. (2025, November). Lifetime Evaluation of Surface Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma Actuators for Green Combustion Application. In ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition (Vol. 89381, p. V007T11A038). American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

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