Parametric study of the flow and temperature fields in an inductively coupled r.f. plasma torch

A theoretical investigation of the effect of different parameters on the flow and the temperature fields in a radiofrequency inductively coupled plasma is carried out. The parameters studied are: central injection gas flow rate, total gas flow rate, input power, and the type of plasma gas. The results obtained for argon and nitrogen plasmas at atmospheric pressure indicate that the flow and the temperature fields in the coil region, as well as the heat flux to the wall of the plasma confinement tube, are considerably altered by the changes in the torch operating conditions.