Effects of Nozzle Length and Process Parameters on Highly Constricted Oxygen Plasma Cutting Arc

The influence of nozzle length and two process parameters (arc current, mass flow rate) on the plasma cutting arc is investigated. Modeling results show that nozzle length and these two process parameters have essential effects on plasma arc characteristics. Long nozzle torch can provide high velocity plasma jet with high heat flux. Both arc voltage and chamber pressure increase with the nozzle length. High arc current increases plasma velocity and temperature, enhances heat flux and augments chamber pressure and thus, the shock wave. Strong mass flow has pinch effect on plasma arc inside the torch, enhances the arc voltage and power, therefore increases plasma velocity, temperature and heat flux.     

Generation of Long, Laminar Plasma Jets at Atmospheric Pressure and Effects of Flow Turbulence

Long, laminar plasma jets at atmospheric pressure of pure argon and a mixture of argon and nitrogen with jet length up to 45 times its diameter could be generated with a DC arc torch by restricting the movement of arc root in the torch channel. Effects of torch structure, gas feeding, and characteristics of power supply on the length of plasma jets were experimentally examined. Plasma jets of considerable length and excellent stability could be obtained by regulating the generating parameters, including arc channel geometry, gas flow rate, and feeding methods, etc. Influence of flow turbulence at the torch nozzle exit on the temperature distribution of plasma jets was numerically simulated. The analysis indicated that laminar flow plasma with very low initial turbulent kinetic energy will produce a long jet with low axial temperature gradient. This kind of long laminar plasma jet could greatly improve the controllability for materials processing, compared with a short turbulent arc jet.     

High Speed Video Camera and Electrical Signal Analyses of Arcs Behavior in a 3-Phase AC Arc Plasma Torch

A 3-phase AC plasma torch has been developed and aims at overcoming some limits of the classical DC torches in terms of efficiency, cost and reliability. However, the arc behavior in 3-phase plasma torch remains poorly explored. This paper is dedicated to the high speed video camera at 100,000 frames per second and electrical signal analyses of arcs behavior in a 3-phase AC arc plasma torch. First, a reference case at 150 A, in nitrogen as working gas, has been deeply analyzed. Afterwards, a parametric study based on current and inter-electrode gap has been carried out. Results show that only one arc can exist at a given time and arcs rotate by switching from a pair of electrodes to another one, following the maximal electrical gap potential. However, a particular “abnormal” arc behavior was sometimes observed. Indeed, the arc motion within the inter-electrode gap increases the heat exchange and stabilizes the 3-phase discharge whereas the system is unbalanced when the arc is in the periphery. The analysis highlights that the arc motion is strongly influenced by the electrode jet velocity and repulsive Lorentz forces. The parametric study shows that the current increases both jet velocity and arc discharge stability. Elsewhere, the increase of the inter-electrode gap can also stabilizes the electrical 3-phase arc discharge. Furthermore, the correlation between arc motion and current waveform is highlighted. This work is likely to open the way toward a better understanding of 3-phase discharges in the perspective of their further optimization.     

Influence of the Shroud Gas Injection Configuration on the Characteristics of a DC Non-transferred Arc Plasma Torch

The characteristics of the plasma jet emanating from a dc non-transferred plasma torch is affected by many factors including arc current, type of gas, gas flow rate, gas injection configuration and torch geometry. The present work focuses on experimental investigation of the influence of shroud gas injection configuration on the I–V characteristics and electro-thermal efficiency of a dc non-transferred plasma torch operated in nitrogen at atmospheric pressure. The plasma gas is injected into the torch axially and shroud gas is injected through three different nozzles such as normal, sheath and twisted nozzles. The effects of flow rates of plasma/axial gas and arc current on I–V characteristics and electro-thermal efficiency of the torch holding different nozzles are investigated. The I–V characteristics and electro-thermal efficiency of the torch are found to be strongly influenced by the shroud gas injection configuration. The effect of arc current on arc voltage decreases with increasing the axial gas flow rate. At higher axial gas flow rate (>?45 lpm), the I–V characteristics of the plasma torch are similar irrespective of the nozzle used. The variation of electro-thermal efficiency with arc current is almost similar to that of arc voltage with arc current. As expected, the electro-thermal efficiency is increased when the axial gas flow rate is increased and at higher axial gas flow rate, it is not influenced by the arc current and shroud gas configuration. The plasma torch with normal nozzle may be better in the range of operating conditions used in this study.     

New Preparation Method of Nanocrystalline Materials by Impulse Plasma in Liquid

A new method to fabricate nanomaterials by using Impulse Plasma in Liquid is presented. Impulse plasma appears from inter-electrode space break-down in high potential difference between two electrodes submerged into a dielectric liquid, while the power supply is relatively small that is insufficient to excite an arc discharge. By changing the dielectric liquid, we can obtain metallic particles, oxides, carbides. This method does not require vacuum chamber and high energy, thus, can provide economical preparation of various types of nanomaterials. Nanocrystalline powder of titanium oxide was prepared using purified water as a dielectric liquid. Metallic nanoparticles of ytterbium, silver and copper were also prepared by the impulse plasma between a pair of the same material electrodes submerged in styrene. In addition, fullerene C₆₀ was synthesized by the impulse plasma in toluene. Nanoparticles of TiC, WC, TaC were also synthesized by the impulse plasma in styrene.     

Biomass conversion to hydrogen-rich synthesis fuels using water steam plasma

In this study, an experimental plasma-chemical reactor equipped with an arc discharge water steam plasma torch was used for biomass conversion to hydrogen-rich synthesis fuels. Glycerol and crushed wood were used as biomass sources. The effects of different conversion parameters including the water steam flow rate, treated material flow rate, and plasma torch power were studied. The experimentally obtained results were compared with the model based on the thermodynamic equilibrium. Additionally, the quantification of the plasma conversion system in terms of energy efficiency and specific energy requirement was performed. It has been found that the synthesis gas can be effectively produced from the biomass using water steam plasma.     

Modeling of the Subsonic–Supersonic Flow and Heat Transfer in a DC Arc Plasma Torch

Two-dimensional modeling results are presented concerning the subsonic–supersonic flow and heat transfer within a DC plasma torch used for low-pressure (or soft vacuum) plasma spraying. The so-called fictitious anode method is used in the modeling in order to avoid inclusion of the complex three-dimensional effects near the anode arc root and also to avoid the forced heating of all the incoming cold gas stream by the arc. A nonorthogonal boundary-conforming grid, nonstaggered variable arrangement and the all-speed SIMPLE algorithm are employed for the solution of the governing equations, including gas viscous effects, temperature-dependent properties, and compressible effects. Good agreement of the predictions with available results for a few benchmarked compressible flow problems shows that the new version of the FAST-2D program can be employed for the present plasma flow modeling. Temperature, axial velocity, Mach number, and static pressure contours, and streamlines within the DC arc plasma torch are presented to show the flow and heat transfer characteristics. The flow transits gradually from upstream subsonic regime into downstream supersonic regime with the subsonic–supersonic transition within the cylindrical segment of the torch nozzle. Additional numerical tests show that gas viscosity and Lorentz force have only a slight effect on the plasma flow.     

Study of the dynamic and static behavior of de vortex plasma torches: Part II: Well-tye cathode

This work was devoted to the study of the dynamic and static behavior of de vortex plasma torch with a well-type cathode (power level below 100 kW). The dynamic behavior of the torch was characterized by the fulctuations of arc voltage and current, plasma jet radiation, and acoustic pressure. Characteristic frequencies of the arc root movement inside the torch were observed. By numerical simulation (with the numerical codeMelodie, it was shown that the position of the erosion diameter) of the axial velocity along the cathode channel near the wall. The static behavior of the torch was inverstigated for different cathode designs. The variations of voltage U with arc current I, gas flow rate G nature of the gas and cathode design were represented by semiempirical relationships established between dimensionless numbers. By dimensional analysis, the behavior of this torch was compared with that of two powerful torches: the Aerospatiale and the Plasma Energy Corporation torches.     

Effect of Anode Arc Root Position on the Behavior of the DC Non-transferred Plasma Jet at Field Free Region

A special bi-anode plasma torch that can change the anode arc root position without changing working gas flow rate has been developed to investigate the effect of anode arc root position on the behavior of the plasma jet. It has two nozzle-shaped anodes at different axial distances from the cathode tip. The arc root can be formed at anodes either close to the cathode tip (anode I) or far away from it (anode II) to obtain different attachment positions and arc voltages. The characteristics of pure argon plasma jets operated in different anode modes were measured in the field free region by using an emalpy probe, and the thermal efficiency of the torch was determined by measuring the temperature differences between cooling water flowing in and out of the torch. The results show that compared with the normal arc operated in anode I mode, the elongated arc operated in anode II mode significantly reduced the plasma energy loss inside the torch, resulting in a higher temperature and a higher velocity of the plasma jet in the field free region.     

Direct Measurement of the Gas Entrainment Into a Turbulent Thermal Plasma Jet

An experimental study is conducted to investigate the entrainment characteristics of a turbulent thermal plasma jet issuing from a DC arc plasma torch operating at atmospheric pressure. The mass flow rate of the ambient gas entrained into the turbulent plasma jet is directly measured by use of the so-called “porous-wall chamber” technique. It is shown that a large amount of ambient gas is entrained into the turbulent plasma jet. With the increase of the gas mass flow rate at the plasma jet inlet or the plasma torch exit, the mass flow rate of entrained ambient gas almost linearly increases but its ratio to the jet-inlet mass flow rate decreases. The mass flow rate of the entrained gas increases with the increase of the arc current or jet length. It is also found that using different ways to inject the plasma-forming gas into the plasma torch affects the entrainment rate of the turbulent plasma jet. The entrainment rate expression established previously by Ricou and Spalding (J. Fluid Mech. 11: 21, 1961) for the turbulent isothermal jets has been used to correlate the experimental data of the entrainment rates of the turbulent thermal plasma jet, and the entrainment coefficient in the entrainment rate expression is found to be in range from 0.40 to 0.47 for the turbulent thermal plasma jet under study.     

Effect of Cathode Nozzle Geometry and Process Parameters on the Energy Distribution for an Argon Transferred Arc

The influence of two nozzle geometries and three process parameters (arc current, arc length and plasma sheath gas flow rate) on the energy distribution for an argon transferred arc is investigated. Measurements are reported for a straight bore cylindrical and for a convergent nozzle, with arc currents of 100 A and 200 A and electrode gaps of 10 mm and 20 mm. These correspond to typical operating parameters generally used in plasma transferred arc cutting and welding operations. The experimental set up consisted of three principal components: the cathode-torch assembly, the external, water-cooled anode, and the reactor chamber. For each set of measurements the power delivered to each system component was measured through calorimetric means, as function of the arc’s operating conditions. The results obtained from this study show that the shape of the cathode torch nozzle has an important influence on arc behaviour and on the energy distribution between the different system components. A convergent nozzle results in higher arc voltages, and consequently, in higher powers being generated in the discharge for the same applied arc current, when compared to the case of a straight bore nozzle. This effect is attributed to the fluidynamic constriction of the arc root attachment, and the consequential increase in the arc voltage and thus, in the Joule heating. The experimental data so obtained is compared with the predictions of a numerical model for the electric arc, based on the solution of the Navier–Stokes and Maxwell equations, using the commercial code FLUENT©. The original code was enhanced with dedicated subroutines to account for the strong temperature dependence of the thermodynamic and transport properties under plasma conditions. The computational domain includes the heat conduction within the solid electrodes and the arc-electrode interactions, in order to be able to calculate the heat distribution in the overall system. The level of agreement achieved between the experimental data and the model predictions confirms the suitability of the proposed, “relatively simple” model as a tool to use for the design and optimization of transferred arc processes and related devices. This conclusion was further supported by spectroscopic measurements of the temperature profiles present in the arc column and image analysis of the intensity distribution within the arc, under the same operating conditions.     

Comparative Study of Flow Characteristics Inside Plasma Torch with Different Nozzle Configurations

A numerical analysis of the influence of different nozzle configurations on the plasma flow characteristics inside D.C plasma torches is presented to provide an advanced nozzle design basis for plasma spraying torches. The assumption of steady-state, axis-symmetric, local thermodynamic equilibrium, and optically thin plasma is adopted in a two-dimensional modeling of plasma flow inside the plasma torch. The PHOENICS software is used for solving the governing equations, i.e. the conservation equations of mass, momentum, and energy along with the equations describing the K-epsilon model of turbulence. The calculated arc voltages are consistent with the experimental results when arc current, gas inflow rate, and working gas are the same as the experimental parameters. Temperature, axial velocity contours inside plasma torches, profiles along the torch axis and profiles at the outlet section are presented to show the plasma flow characteristics. Comparisons are made among those torches. The results show that torches with different anode nozzle configurations produce different characteristics of plasma flows, which suggest some important ideas for the advanced nozzle design for plasma spraying. In order to validate the model and to show its level of predictivity, a comparison of the model with experimental results encountered in the literature is presented in the last part.     

Experimental Study on the Thermal Argon Plasma Generation and Jet Length Change Characteristics at Atmospheric Pressure

The generation, jet length and flow-regime change characteristics of argon plasma issuing into ambient air have been experimentally examined. Different torch structures have been used in the tests. Laminar plasma jets can be generated within a rather wide range of working-gas flow rates, and an unsteady transitional flow state exists between the laminar and turbulent flow regimes. The high-temperature region length of the laminar plasma jet can be over an order longer than that of the turbulent plasma jet and increases with increasing argon flow rate or arc current, while the jet length of the turbulent plasma is less influenced by the generating parameters. The flow field of the plasma jet has very high radial gradients of plasma parameters, and a Reynolds number alone calculated in the ordinary manner may not adequately serve as a criterion for transition. The laminar plasma jet can have a higher velocity than that of an unsteady or turbulent jet. The long laminar plasma jet has good stiffness to withstand the impact of laterally injected cold gas and particulate matter. It could be used as a rather ideal object for fundamental studies and be applied to novel materials processing due to its attractive stable and adjustable properties.     

Characteristics of Argon Laminar DC Plasma Jet at Atmospheric Pressure

Argon DC plasma jets in stable laminar flow were generated at atmospheric pressure with a specially designed torch under carefully balanced generating conditions. Compared with turbulent jets of short length with expanded radial appearance and high working noise, the laminar jet could be 550 mm in length with almost unchanged diameter along the whole length and very low noise. At gas feeding rate of 120 cm³/s, the jet length increases with increasing arc current in the range of 70–200 A, and thermal efficiency decreases slightly at first and then leveled off. With increasing gas flow rate, thermal efficiency of the laminar jets increases and could reach about 40%, when the arc current is kept at 200 A. Gauge pressure distributions of the jets impinging on a flat plate were measured. The maximum gauge pressure value of a laminar jet at low gas feeding rate is much lower than that of a turbulent jet. The low pressure acting on the material surface is favorable for surface cladding of metals, whereas the high pressure associated with turbulent jets will break down the melt pool.     

Influence of the Gas Injection Angle on the Jet Characteristics of a Non-transferred DC Plasma Torch

The non-transferred direct current (DC) plasma torch has been widely used in various industrial applications due to its special jet characteristics. The jet characteristics are determined by different factors, including the working parameters, the torch construction, the gas injection angle (GIA) etc. As there is little study on the influence of the GIA on the jet characteristics, experimental study on the GIA’s effects on the jet characteristics has been carried out on a specially designed non-transferred DC plasma torch, whose GIA can be changed by replacing a gas injection component. The arc voltages and thermal efficiencies of the plasma torch, the specific enthalpies and jet lengths of the plasma jets at different working conditions were obtained and analyzed. It has been found that the GIA greatly affects the arc voltage, the thermal efficiency, the specific enthalpy and the jet length. Based on these findings, plasma torch with appropriate GIA could be used to help generating the plasma jet with desired characteristics.     

Electric Arc Fluctuations in DC Plasma Spray Torch

Direct current plasma torches for plasma spraying applications generate electric arc instabilities. The resulting fluctuations of input electrical power hamper a proper control of heat and momentum transfers to materials for coating deposition. This paper gives an overview of major issues about arc instabilities in conventional DC plasma torches. Evidences of arc fluctuations and their consequences on plasma properties and on material treatments are illustrated. Driving forces applied to the arc creating its motion are described and emphasis is put on the restrike mode that depends on the arc reattachment and the boundary layer properties around the arc column. Besides the arc root shown as a key region of instability, the Helmholtz oscillation is also described and accounts for the whole plasma torch domain that can generate pressure fluctuations coupled with voltage ones.     

Synthesis of Ozone at Atmospheric Pressure by a Quenched Induction-Coupled Plasma Torch

The technical feasibility of using an induction-coupled plasma (ICP) torch to synthesize ozone at atmospheric pressure is explored. Ozone concentrations up to ~250 ppm were achieved using a thermal plasma reactor system based on an ICP torch operating at 2.5 MHz and ~11 kVA with an argon/oxygen mixture as the plasma-forming gas. The corresponding production rate and yield were ~20 g ozone/hr and ~2g ozone/kWh, respectively. A gaseous oxygen quench formed ozone by rapid mixing of molecular oxygen with atomic oxygen produced by the torch. The ozone concentration in the reaction chamber was measured by Fourier Transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy over a wide range of experimental conditions and configurations. The geometry of the quench gas flow, the quench flow velocity, and the quench flow rate played important roles in determining the ozone concentration. The ozone concentration was sensitive to the torch RF power, but was insensitive to the torch gas flow rates. These observations are interpreted within the framework of a simple model of ozone synthesis.     

Improvement of plasma spraying efficiency and coating quality

A commercial torch has been modified to introduce an additional anti-vortex and shroud gas flow to counter the detrimental effects brought about by the vortex plasma gas flow which is used to stabilize the cathode arc attachment and to increase the anode life. Deposition efficiency and coating quality are used as criteria to judge the modified versus the nonmodified torch. High-speed videography and computerized image analysis systems are used to determine the particle trajectories, velocities, and the plasma jet geometry. The results show that the additional anti-vortex and shroud gas flow to the torch can keep the particles closer to the torch axis and reduce the amount of entrainment of cold air into the plasma jet. The consequence is that deposition efficiency and coating quality are substantially improved.     

Computational Analysis of a Double Nozzle Structure Plasma Cutting Torch

Double arcing phenomenon is a limit to increasing the capacity of the plasma cutting torch. In an attempt to enhance the ability of being invulnerable to the double arcing, a double nozzle structure is introduced in this paper. The reason why the double nozzle structure is less vulnerable to the double arcing phenomenon than single nozzle structure is explored. Double nozzle structure allows the longer nozzle which may cause stronger shock wave. In order to evaluate the influence of shock wave on the cutting ability, the influence of nozzle length on the double nozzle structure plasma arc is investigated. The modeling results show that the longer nozzle produces the stronger shock wave outside the nozzle outlet, but the energy flux and momentum flux become concentrated after the shock wave and increases with the increasing of nozzle length. So the double nozzle structure improves the cutting ability of the plasma torch and meanwhile be less vulnerable to the double arcing phenomenon.     

Description of a flowing cascade arc plasma

The plasma in a cascaded arc in argon with flow is studied both experimentally and theoretically. The plasma pressure has been measured as a function of axial position in the are channel with a Baratron pressure transducer. The electron density and the electron temperature have been determined as a function of axial position using H_β-Stark broadening and line-continuum emissivity ratio, respectively. Comparison of the gas pressure measurements with an equilibrium model suggests that the /low is laminar. A one-dimensional nonequilibrium model based on the electron- and heavy-particle number balances and the heavy-particle energy balance is presented. The measured axial profiles of the electron density agree well with the model predictions, especially in the most upstream part of the arc channel. The plasma is strongly ionizing. Temperature equilibration takes about 20 mm of arc length, depending on the argon flow.