Three-dimensional non-equilibrium modeling of a DC multi-cathode arc plasma torch

In this paper, a three-dimensional non-equilibrium steady arc model is used to investigate the temperature, velocity and electromagnetic field in multi-cathode arc torch, and the formation mechanism of a large-area, uniform and diffused arc plasma is analyzed. The numerical simulation results show that a large volume plasma region can be formed in the central region of the generator during discharge. During this process, the maximum electron temperature appears near the cathode and in the central convergence region, while the maximum heavy particle temperature only appears in the central convergence region. This phenomenon is consistent with the experimental arc images. Near the cathode tip, the arc column is in a contraction state. In the area slightly away from the cathode, the six arc columns begin to join together. In the plasma generator, there is a large-scale current distribution in all directions of X, Y and Z, forming a stable arc plasma with a wide range of diffusion. The calculated electron temperature distribution is in good agreement with the measured electron temperature. The results suggest that the largearea diffused arc plasma in the multi-cathode arc torch is the combined effect of current distribution, convection heat transfer and heat conduction.     

Comparison of Reynolds average Navier-Stokes turbulence models in numerical simulations of the DC arc plasma torch

Five turbulence models of Reynolds average Navier-Stokes(RANS),including the standard k-ω model,the RNG k-e model taking into account the low Reynolds number effect,the realizable k-ω model,the SST k-ω model,and the Reynolds stress model(RSM),are employed in the numerical simulations of direct current(DC)arc plasma torches in the range of arc current from 80 A to 240 A and air gas flow rate from 10 m^3 h^-1 to 50 m^3 h^-1.The calculated voltage,electric field intensity,and the heat loss in the arc chamber are compared with the experiments.The results indicate that the arc voltage,the electric field,and the heat loss in the arc chamber calculated by using the standard k-ω model,the RNG k-ωmodel taking into account the low Reynolds number effect,and the realizable k-ω model are much larger than those in the experiments.The RSM predicts relatively close results to the experiments,but fails in the trend of heat loss varying with the gas flow rate.The calculated results of the SST k-ω model are in the best agreement with the experiments,which may be attributed to the reasonable predictions of the turbulence as well as its distribution.     

Behavior of an indigenously fabricated transferred arc plasma furnace for smelting studies

The utilization of industrial solid waste for metal recovery requires high-temperature tools due to the presence of silica and alumina, which is reducible at high temperature. In a plasma arc furnace, transferred arc plasma furnace(TAP) can meet all requirements, but the disadvantage of this technology is the high cost. For performing experiments in the laboratory, the TAP was fabricated indigenously in a laboratory based on the different inputs provided in the literature for the furnace design and fabrication. The observed parameters such as arc length, energy consumption, graphite electrode consumption, noise level as well as lining erosion were characterized for this fabricated furnace. The nitrogen plasma increased by around 200 K(200 ℃) melt temperature and noise levels decreased by ~10 d B compared to a normal arc.Hydrogen plasma offered 100 K(100 ℃) higher melt temperature with ~5 d B higher sound level than nitrogen plasma. Nitrogen plasma arc melting showed lower electrode and energy consumption than normal arc melting, whereas hydrogen plasma showed lower energy consumption and higher electrode consumption in comparison to nitrogen plasma. The higher plasma arc temperature resulted in a shorter meltdown time than normal arc with smoother arcing. Hydrogen plasma permitted more heats, reduced meltdown time, and lower energy consumption, but with increased graphite consumption and crucible wear. The present study showed that the fabricated arc plasma is better than the normal arc furnace with respect to temperature generation, energy consumption, and environmental friendliness. Therefore, it could be used effectively for smelting-reduction studies.     

Design and characteristics of a new type laminar plasma torch for materials processing

Laminar plasma jet(LPJ) generated by laminar plasma torch(LPT) has a favorable temperature and velocity distribution. Thus, it is superior to the turbulent plasma jet in material processing.However, most of the reported LPTs usually operate at a relatively low output power with a relatively low arc voltage and thermal efficiency, which limits its capabilities. In this context, this paper attempts to design a new type of high-power LPT with a relatively low arc current and a high thermal efficiency. In the first section, the design principle of the main components is studied and discussed in detail, and a new high-power LPT is proposed. Then, the experimental characteristics of the proposed high-power LPT are examined. Experimental results reveal the following characteristics of the proposed LPT.(1) The max jet length of the proposed LPT reaches at 540 mm.(2) Its mean arc voltage is higher than 290 V when the LPT works with arc currents lower than 200 A, leading to an output power greater than 50 kW.(3) The mean thermal efficiency is higher than 50%. Lastly, the proposed LPT has been applied to spheroidize the aluminum oxide powers. The experiment results for the production of spherical powders show that the proposed LPT has a good characteristic for material processing.     

Comparative analysis of the arc characteristics inside the converging-diverging and cylindrical plasma torches

A two-temperature thermal non-equilibrium model is used to simulate and compare the arc characteristics within the converging-diverging and traditional cylindrical plasma torches.The modeling results show that the presence of the constrictor within the converging-diverging torch makes the evolution characteristics of the arc significantly different from that of cylindrical torch.Compared with a cylindrical geometrical torch,a much higher plasma flow velocity and relatively longer high temperature region can be generated and maintained inside the converging-diverging torch.In the constrictor of converging-diverging torch,the normalized radius of arc column increases and the degree of thermodynamic equilibrium of the plasma is significantly improved with the increase of axial distance.The radial momentum balance analysis shows that for the cylindrical torch,the pressure gradient that drives the arc expansion and the Lorentz force that drives the arc contraction dominate the radial evolution of the arc.While at the converging and constrictor region of a converging-diverging plasma torch,the radial gas dynamic forces in arc fringes pointing toward the arc center enhance the mixing of the cold gas of boundary layer with the high temperature gas of the arc center,increasing the average gas temperature and decreasing the thickness of cold boundary layer,thereby facilitating the formation of diffusion type arc anode attachment at the diverging section of torch.     

Discharge and jet characteristics of gliding arc plasma igniter driven by pressure difference

Stable combustion in an afterburner can help increase the thrust of the engine in a short time, thereby improving the maneuverability of a fighter. To improve the ignition performance of an afterburner, a twin-duct ignition platform was designed to study the performance of a gliding arc plasma igniter in close-to-real afterburner conditions. The research was carried out by a combination of experiments and simulations. The working environment of the igniter was explored through a numerical simulation. The results showed that the airflow ejected from the radiating holes formed a swirling sheath, which increased the anti-interference ability of the airflow jet. The influence of the pressure difference between the inlet and outlet of the igniter (Δp), the flow rate outside the igniter outlet (W₂), and the installation angle (α) on the single-cycle discharge energy (E) as well as the maximum arc length (L) were studied through experiments. Three stages were identified: the airflow breakdown stage, the arc evolution stage, and the arc fracture stage. E and L increased by 107.3% and 366.2%, respectively, with Δp increasing from 10 to 70 Torr. The relationship between L and Δp obtained by data fitting is L = 3 − 2.47/(1 + (Δp/25)⁴). The relationship of L at different α is L_α=0° > (L_α=45° and L_α=135°) > L_α=180° > L_α=90°. E and L decrease by 18.2% and 37.3%, respectively, when Δp = 45 Torr and W₂ is increased from 0 to 250 l min⁻¹.     

Study on the ignition process of a segmented plasma torch

Direct current plasma torches have been applied to generate unique sources of thermal energy in many industrial applications.Nevertheless,the successful ignition of a plasma torch is the key process to generate the unique source (plasma jet).However,there has been little study on the underlying mechanism of this key process.A thorough understanding of the ignition process of a plasma torch will be helpful for optimizing the design of the plasma torch structure and selection of the ignition parameters to prolong the service life of the ignition module.Thus,in this paper,the ignition process of a segmented plasma torch (SPT) is theoretically and experimentally modeled and analyzed.Corresponding electrical models of different stages of the ignition process are set up and used to derive the electrical parameters,e.g.the variations of the arc voltage and arc current between the cathode and anode.In addition,the experiments with different ignition parameters on a home-made SPT have been conducted.At the same time,the variations of the arc voltage and arc current have been measured,and used to verify the ones derived in theory and to determine the optimal ignition parameters for a particular SPT.     

Influence of arc current and pressure on non-chemical equilibrium air arc behavior

The influence of arc current and pressure on the non-chemical equilibrium(non-CE) air arc behavior of a nozzle structure was investigated based on the self-consistent non-chemical equilibrium model. The arc behavior during both the arc burning and arc decay phases were discussed at different currents and different pressures. We also devised the concept of a nonequilibrium parameter for a better understanding of non-CE effects. During the arc burning phase, the increasing current leads to a decrease of the non-equilibrium parameter of the particles in the arc core, while the increasing pressure leads to an increase of the non-equilibrium parameter of the particles in the arc core. During the arc decay phase, the non-CE effect will decrease by increasing the arc burning current and the nozzle pressure. Three factors together—convection, diffusion and chemical reactions—influence non-CE behavior.     

Convection effect on an arc plasma evolution process in a two parallel contact system

A low voltage circuit breaker(LVCB) is an important piece of protection equipment which will switch off the fault current in a power system. The moving contact of a low voltage circuit breaker with a higher rated current consists of two parallel contacts. Therefore, the convection effect on the air arc evolution process in a two parallel contact system is analyzed. A threedimensional(3 D) magneto–hydro–dynamic(MHD) model of arc simulation is built. In this model, the anode consists of two parallel contacts and a bonding conductor. A nonlinear voltage–current density characteristic is employed to represent the near-anode and near-cathode voltage. The current density, arc voltage and currents through every contact are obtained. The influence of convection and conduction on the arc evolution process are quantitatively calculated. The displacements of the arc roots are obtained and the asymmetry of the arc root motion is analyzed. The arc evolution process of a two parallel contact system is preliminarily revealed.     

Particle flux characteristics of a compact high-field cascaded arc plasma device

A new compact cascaded arc device for plasma-wall interaction study is developed at the Institute of Plasma Physics,Chinese Academy of Sciences.A magnetic field up to 0.8 T is achieved to confine plasmas in a 1.2 m long and 0.1 m diameter vacuum chamber.Gas fluid type analysis in this compact vacuum system was done under high particle flux condition.The gas pressure obtained by calculation was consistent with the measurement result.Continuous argon plasma discharge with ion flux of～0.5×1024 m-2 s-1 is successfully sustained for more than 1 h.The effects of magnetic field configuration,gas flow rate,and discharge arc current on the ion flux to target were studied in detail.     

OH and O radicals production in atmospheric pressure air/Ar/H2O gliding arc discharge plasma jet

Atmospheric pressure air/Ar/H_2O gliding arc discharge plasma is produced by a pulsed dc power supply. An optical emission spectroscopic(OES) diagnostic technique is used for the characterization of plasmas and for identifications of OH and O radicals along with other species in the plasmas. The OES diagnostic technique reveals the excitation Tx?≈?5550–9000 K, rotational Tr?≈?1350–2700 K and gas Tg?≈?850–1600 K temperatures, and electron density n?(1.1-1.9) ′101 4 cm~(-3) e under different experimental conditions. The production and destruction of OH and O radicals are investigated as functions of applied voltage and air flow rate. Relative intensities of OH and O radicals indicate that their production rates are increased with increasing Ar content in the gas mixture and applied voltage. nereveals that the higher densities of OH and O radicals are produced in the discharge due to more effective electron impact dissociation of H_2O and O_2 molecules caused by higher kinetic energies as gained by electrons from the enhanced electric field as well as by enhanced n e.The productions of OH and O are decreasing with increasing air flow rate due to removal of Joule heat from the discharge region but enhanced air flow rate significantly modifies discharge maintenance properties. Besides, Tgsignificantly reduces with the enhanced air flow rate. This investigation reveals that Ar plays a significant role in the production of OH and O radicals.     

阴极真空弧源磁过滤弯管偏压模式研究

为了改进阴极真空弧等离子体通过磁过滤弯管的传输效率，测定了磁过滤弯管出口离子电流与阴极弧流的关系，结果表明：磁过滤弯管内表面中，靠近大径中心一侧的表面（内侧面）和远离大径中心一侧的表面（外侧面）与等离子体的相互作用是独立的，存在两种向磁过滤弯等内表面运动的离子流：离子碰撞导致的横向扩散离子流和从阴极弧出来的较高能量的惯性离子流。两种离子流通过磁过滤管的传输过程有不同的机制。整个磁过滤弯管偏压较仅仅Bilek板偏压有更高的离子传输效率，Bilek板偏压对磁过滤弯管离子传输起主要作用。     

阴极端面旋转弧根的数值分析

辅助电弧的阴极弧根在管状钨阴极端面旋转时，随着阴极弧根旋转频率的增加，在阴极端面形成一圈温度较高的区域；区域中各点的温度（除弧根处温度）趋于均匀，从而为主电弧的阴极弧根在这个区域中分裂成多弧根或形成扩散型弧根模式提供了必要的温度条件；弧根处的阴极端面温度随旋转频率的增加而下降并趋于一个稳定的值。本文利用三维热传导方程对此进行了分析。     

磁驱动滑移电弧非平衡等离子体的研究

提出了一种磁驱动滑移电弧放电产生大气压非平衡等离子体的方法,给出了这种装置的基本结构,主要性能及基本原理。在弧电流0．6A左右得到了约100m／s的电弧移动速度和约80V／mm的电场强度,产生了非平衡度较高的大气压非平衡等离子体。     

Design and characteristics of a triple-cathode cascade plasma torch for spheroidization of metallic powders

Arc plasma torch is an effective tool for spheroidization of metallic powders. However, as most conventional plasma torches were not specifically designed for plasma spheroidization, they may exhibit the disadvantages of the radial injection of powders, large fluctuations in the arc voltage, large gas flow rate, and disequilibrium between multiple plasma jets during the spheroidization process. Therefore, this paper presents a triple-cathode cascade plasma torch (TCCPT) for plasma spheroidization. Its structural design, including three cathodes, a common anode, and three sets of inter-electrodes, are detailed to ensure that powders can be inserted into the plasma jet by axial injection, the arc voltage fluctuations are easily maintained at a low level, and the plasma torches can work at a relatively small gas flow rate. Experimental results showed that the proposed TCCPT exhibits the following characteristics: (1) a relatively small arc voltage fluctuation within 5.3%; (2) a relatively high arc voltage of 75 V and low gas flow rate range of 10–30 SLM; (3) easy to be maintained at the equilibrium state with the equilibrium index of the three plasma jets within 3.5 V. Furthermore, plasma spheroidization experiments of SUS304 stainless steel powers were carried out using the proposed TCCPT. Results verified that the proposed TCCPT is applicable and effective for the spheroidization of metallic powders with wide size distribution.     

Numerical modelling of a low power non-transferred arc plasma reactor for methane conversion

Thermal flow characteristics and the methane conversion reaction in a low power arc plasma reactor for efficient storage and transport of methane, which is the main component of shale gas, were simulated. The temperature and velocity distributions were calculated according to the type of discharge gases and arc current level by a self-developed magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) code and a commercial ANSYS-FLUENT code; the transport of chemical species was analyzed as including the chemical reactions of methane conversion. The simulated results were verified by the comparison of calculated and measured arc voltages with permissible low error as under 4%. Three C₂ hydrocarbon gases with ethane (C₂H₆), ethylene (C₂H₄), and acetylene (C₂H₂) were selected as the converted species of methane from experimental data. The mass fraction of C₂ hydrocarbons and hydrogen as the product of the conversion reaction at the reactor was also calculated. Those values show good agreement with the actual experimental results in that the major conversion reaction occurred in C₂H₂ and hydrogen, and the conversions to C₂H₆, C₂H₄, and hydrogen were minor reactions of methane pyrolysis conversion.     

Dynamics of plasma bullets by nanosecond pulsed micro-hollow cathode discharge within air

In this paper, the air plasma jet produced by micro-hollow cathode discharge(MHCD) is investigated. The discharge is powered by a positive nanosecond pulse high voltage supply. The waveforms of the discharge, the images of the jet, the evolution of the plasma bullet and the reactive species are obtained to analyze the characteristics of the MHCD plasma jet. It is found that the length of the plasma jet is almost proportional to the air flow rate of 2–6 slm. Two plasma bullets appear one after another during a single period of the voltage waveform, and both of the two plasma bullets are formed during the positive pulse voltage off. The propagation velocity of the two plasma bullets is on the order of several hundred m/s, which is approximate to that of the air flow. These results indicate that the gas flow has an important influence on the formation of this MHCD plasma jet.     

Study of generation characteristics of glow-type atmospheric-pressure plasma jet based on DC discharge in air

In order to form an atmospheric-pressure plasma jet without airflow, a needle–ring electrode structure is proposed in this paper. When heteropolar potentials are applied to a needle and a ring, a marked electric field strength enhancement around the needle's pointed end has been found. When the same potential is applied to both the needle and the ring, the lateral electric field strength for the needle can be weakened. By using the above two methods, an increase of the difference between the pointed end electric field strength and the lateral one is achieved and stable plasma jets are formed. A symmetrical space electric field distribution is established at the pointed end of the needles when several sets of heteropolar needle–ring electrodes are uniformly arranged, which is conducive to forming a uniform array plasma jet. Under DC discharge conditions, a safe and stable plasma jet of high density and an array plasma jet are successfully achieved.     

Decontamination of infected plant seeds utilizing atmospheric gliding arc discharge plasma treatment

In agriculture production,plant health is threatened by pathogens parasitic on seeds;hence,it is necessary to disinfect harvested seeds before germination.In this study,a technique of gliding arc plasma treatment was proposed and investigated.The experiment was conducted to treat Astragalus membranaceus (A.membranaceus) seeds that were artificially infected with Fusarium oxysporum (F.oxysporum).The plasma treatment duration varied from 30 s to 270 s.Direct and indirect treatments were compared to evaluate the inactivation efficiency of the F.oxysporum spores on the surface of seeds.The results indicated that the direct treatment behaved significantly better in disinfection than the indirect way.Meanwhile,experiments of the quantitative assessment of seed germination were also conducted,including the germination rate,the germination potential,and the germination index.The results showed that the inactivation efficiency increased as the plasma treatment time was extended.When the treatment time was 90 s,the inactivation efficiency reached more than 98％.The plasma treatment of 270 s had a complete devitalization of F.oxysporum spores on the surface of the seeds.After the treatment of 30 s and 90 s,the seed germination parameters improved significantly.This study verified the inactivation efficacy of gliding arc discharge plasma under atmospheric pressure.The technique of gliding arc treatment shows advantages of energy saving and adaptation and has the potential to be utilized in industry.     

Dependence of plasma structure and propagation on microwave amplitude and frequency during breakdown of atmospheric pressure air

The structure and propagation of the plasma in air breakdown driven by high-power microwave have attracted great interest. This paper focuses on the microwave amplitude and frequency dependence of plasma formation at atmospheric pressure using one two-dimensional model,which is based on Maxwell's equations coupled with plasma fluid equations. In this model, we adopt the effective electron diffusion coefficient, which can describe well the change from free diffusion in a plasma front to ambipolar diffusion in the bulk plasma. The filamentary plasma arrays observed in experiments are well reproduced in the simulations. The density and propagation speed of the plasma from the simulations are also close to the corresponding experimental data. The size of plasma filament parallel to the electric field decreases with increasing frequency, and it increases with the electric field amplitude. The distance between adjacent plasma filaments is close to one-quarter wavelength under different frequencies and amplitudes. The plasma propagation speed shows little change with the frequency, and it increases with the amplitude. The variations of plasma structure and propagation with the amplitude and frequency are due to the change in the distribution of the electric field.