Plasma of Electric Arc Discharge between Melted Electrodes

Plasma of electric arc discharge between melted electrodes was experimentally investigated. Diagnostics of electric arc plasma was carried out. Optical emission and absorption spectroscopy was used to obtain radial profiles of temperature, electron density and neutral atoms concentration. The influence of electrode condition on plasma parameters was evaluated. It was found that the copper vapour in plasma tends to be located at the arc axis.     

Positioning of the arc discharge channel in vacuum arc facilities

The behavior of an electric arc in a magnetic field is studied theoretically and experimentally. It is found that the arc behavior can be governed by the ponderomotive interaction of the arc with current-carrying elements. In a nonuniform magnetic field, the behavior of the arc depends on the Hall currents and the diamagnetic properties of its plasma. It is shown that the position of the arc channel between the end faces of cylindrical electrodes can be controlled by nonuniform magnetic fields. The methods and devices considered in this paper allow one, in particular, to control arc heat sources used in the heat treatment of metals.     

Numerical model of the anode region of high-current electric arcs

A two-dimensional, two-temperature axisymmetric numerical model has been formulated for the flow-affected region and the boundary layer in front of high-intensity electric arc anodes. The plasma flow is laminar, steady, incompressible, and the plasma composition is found from the diffusion equation because chemical nonequilibrium is expected. Computational results are obtained for an atmospheric pressure argon arc considering two different situations: a free-burning electric arc and an arc with a constrictor tube. The solutions indicate two different anode attachments modes-a constricted and a diffuse attachment. It is found that under the conditions considered in the calculations, the gradient-induced current densities become significant at distances in the order of 1 mm from the anode surface. The thermal anode boundary layer is compressed with increasing current. The thickness of the thermal boundary layer for the constricted mode is approximately three times smaller than for the diffuse mode. A reversal of the electric field strength occurs over the entire thickness of the boundary layer in all calculated cases. A satisfactory agreement is reached between the calculated heat flux values and experimental results obtained for a 200-A free-burning electric arc     

Vortex Flows Induced by Electric Arc

In this paper a mathematical model of the stationary electric arc is made on the basis of solution of radiation gas dynamics two-dimensional equations. Numerical analysis of electric arc with small length, depending on current force, distance between electrodes, electrode behaviour and geometry, type and expenditure amount of plasma forming gas, is carried out. It is shown that under some definite conditions electric arc induces toroidal gas vortexes playing an important part in the process of heat and mass transfer in electric arc plasma.     

电弧增材成形中熔积层表面形貌对电弧形态影响的仿真

电弧增材成形常采用单道多层或多道搭接的熔积方式,不同的熔积方式下对应的熔积层表面形貌不同,从而影响电弧的形态及其传热传质过程.本文建立了纯氩保护电弧增材成形的电弧磁流体动力学三维数值模型,以及不同表面形貌的熔积层模型,并在保持阳极与阴极之间距离和熔积电流不变的条件下,通过模拟计算获得增材成形特有的单道和多道搭接熔积条件下的不同表面形貌对应的电弧形态以及相应的温度场、流场、电流密度、电磁力、电弧压力分布.数值模拟结果表明:平面基板上起弧情况下电弧中心具有较高的温度、速度、电流密度以及压强;单道多层熔积情况下熔积层数对电弧的各个参量影响较小;多道搭接熔积情况下电弧呈非对称分布,电弧中心温度较前两者低,电流密度、电磁力和电弧压强的分布偏向熔积层一侧.     

Study of the Nitrogen Arc under Reduced Pressure

The paper presents a model of arc in a d.c. vortex plasma torch which allows to determine distributions of temperature and plasma electron density in conditions of reduced pressure. The model makes it possible to elucidate voltage-current characteristics of the arc at different pressures and its dynamic behaviour connected with the phenomenon of the electric arc root displacement. The experimental research also determined voltage-current characteristics for different flow rates and pressures. The fluctuations of the arc current and the arc voltage were measured. The corresponding wave shapes were analysed by Fast Fourier Transform. The frequency variations with flow rate, arc current and pressure were studied and discussed.     

Processes and properties of electric arc stabilized by water vortex

Experimental investigation of an electric arc stabilized by a water vortex was carried out in a DC arc plasma torch for the power range 90-200 kW. Volt-ampere characteristics of the arc as well as the power balance were determined separately for the part of the arc column stabilized by water and for the remaining part between the nozzle exit and the external anode. The temperature of arc plasma close to the nozzle exit was determined by emission spectroscopy. Negatively biased electric probes in the ion collecting regime were used for determination of the plasma flow velocity. The measured temperatures up to 27000 K, and velocities up to 7 km/s are higher than the values commonly reported for plasma torches with DC arcs stabilized by a gas flow. Mass and energy balances within the arc chamber were determined from the experimental results. The radial transport of the energy by radiation was identified as a decisive process controlling the arc and plasma properties. The balance of radial energy transport was studied. The ratio of energy spent for evaporation of the water to the energy absorbed in the evaporated mass is very low in the water stabilized arc. This is the principal cause of high plasma temperatures and velocities found by the measurements     

Analysis of plasma characteristics and conductive mechanism of laser assisted pulsed arc welding

This study aims to investigate the arc plasma shape and the spectral characteristics during the laser assisted pulsed arc welding process. The arc plasma shape was synchronously observed using a high speed camera, and the emission spectrum of plasma was obtained by spectrometer. The well-known Boltzmann plot method and Stark broadening were used to calculate the electron temperature and density respectively. The conductive mechanism of arc ignition in laser assisted arc hybrid welding was investigated, and it was found that the plasma current moved to the arc anode under the action of electric field. Thus, a significant parabolic channel was formed between the keyhole and the wire tip. This channel became the main method of energy transformation between the arc and the molten pool. The calculation results of plasma resistivity show that the laser plasma has low resistivity as the starting point of conductive channel formation. When the laser pulse duration increases, the intensity of the plasma radiation spectrum and the plasma electron density will increase, and the electron temperature will decrease.     

Computation of steady flow in the molten pool at electric-arc heating

Peculiarities of the formation of melt hydrodynamics in the molten pool of electric arc as a result of a viscous interaction with the arc plasma flow and the effect of electromagnetic forces are considered. It is shown that in a relatively shallow pool, the role of viscous interaction with plasma flow predominates electromagnetic forces. In a deeper pool, the flow in peripheral upper region is formed as before by a viscous interaction between plasma and melt, and the electromagnetic forces dominate in deep regions.     

用于真空弧等离子体放电阴极温度场测量的多光谱高温计

阴极表面温度是真空弧等离子体放电过程中一个重要参数,对真空弧等离子体的形成、电极腐蚀预测、热传导以及离子源的寿命都有重要影响。真空弧离子源的阴极具有目标小,放电过程快等特点,其温度的测量,对于时间分辨率和空间分辨率要求都很高,阴极表面温度的测量技术的欠缺,使得仅靠理论解析获得的结果难以得到验证。并且等离子体放电过程中测量仪器极易受到弧光的影响,如何避免放电过程中等离子体的辐射也是采用辐射法测量阴极表面温度要考虑的问题。这无疑给其温度场的测试研究带来困难。针对脉冲真空弧等离子体开展阴极表面温度测试实验有着重要意义,在分析了真空弧等离子体放电特性以及背景辐射特性和等离子体放电阴极测温的实际需求,本文基于高速CCD相机研制了一种新型的多光谱高温计。该高温计采用单色高速CCD相机,主要避免RGB彩色相机不能完全滤除背景辐射的弧光。为使用单色CCD相机实现多光谱辐射测温,设计了高温计的光学系统,该系统采用4孔径分光系统。将4种不同波长的滤光片嵌入到1个滤光片中。该研究设计的高温计可用于2 000~6 000 K的等离子体温度测量。并在中国工程物理研究院电子工程研究所进行现场测试,测试过程中将研制的高温计,通过外部触发形式对等离子体放电过程进行跟踪拍摄,高温计完全拍摄到等离子体放电过程。利用真空弧等离子体金属电极阴极放电的实测数据对高温计进行了验证。实验结果表明,设计的新型多光谱高温计能够用于测量真空弧等离子体放电时阴极温度场信息,测量的温度值低于放电电极的沸点温度,与等离子体放电过程中出现气化现象相符,说明高温计测的是等离子体放电阴极的温度。     

Determination of Parameters of the Arc Plasma of Electrodynamic Macro-Particle Accelerator by the Method of Simulation of Surface Energy Losses

In the paper we have presented the model method of calculating electrical arc parameters in the macroparticles' electrodynamic accelerator at the given rail width and the given width between them. The method is based on energy losses simulation at the arc's boundary surfaces and is a modification of the one-dimensional version of Powell and Batteh's method. It has been shown that the proposed method is adequate for operative use and that it enables the determination of both macroscopic arc parameters · acceleration, length, electroconductivity, mean temperature and density of particles etc., as well as local arc plasma parameters. The values of these parameters are determined by numerical solutions of the self-consistent system of mangetic-hydro-dynamic, material and thermodynamic equations, at the arc's given mass and muzzle voltage between rails. It has also been shown that the proposed method allows the comparison of one-, two- and three-dimensional arc approximations. In the present paper we have used the method assuming that arc plasma is at most doubly ionized and produced exclusively by copper atoms.     

Determination of the characteristics of an electric arc plasmacontaminated by vapors from insulators

Results are presented from an experimental study (at atmospheric pressure) carried out on plasma penetrated by vapors from different industrial insulators. The data describe the influence of each insulator type upon the characteristics of the electric arc plasma, i.e. the resulting increase of the temperature, electronic density, electric field, and extinction velocity of the arc. Measurements were made spectrometrically and by means of probes     

颗粒与交流电弧等离子体温度场的相互作用

研究了大气压下交流电弧等离子体温度场与入射颗粒的相互作用．在等离子体连续方程、能量方程中增加一项由颗粒直径及能焓变化引起的源项,对方程组进行无量纲化以及对弧柱边界进行迭代解决了交流电弧等离子体的动边界问题．计算了不同的颗粒入射量、颗粒半径、交流频率、初始弧柱半径和有无对流等五种情况．通过对铝颗粒和氩等离子体的计算表明：颗粒和交流电弧等离子体的相互作用对颗粒的加热历程和等离子体温度场都有重要影响．研究结果适用于交流频率范围10—100Hz.这个范围包括了大多数工业用交流电弧的频率. 关键词：     

电弧射流激励器工作特性仿真研究

为了在高超声速飞行器减阻中达到更好的减阻效果,设计了一种电弧射流等离子体激励器。采用有限元法求解非线性多物理方程,对此电弧射流等离子体激励器的工作特性进行了数值模拟,得到了激励器内部的电势、压力、温度和速度分布,综合分析了进气口气体速度、放电电流、激励器管道半径对电势、压力、温度和速度分布的影响。获得了全面的影响规律,通过仿真结果还得到:电弧射流等离子体激励器可产生最高温度为8638 K、最高速度为655 m/s的等离子体射流。当电流20 A,进气速度0.5 m/s,管道半径2.5 mm时,所需功率最小;当电流20 A,入口气体流速5 m/s,管道半径2.5 mm时,出口处平均温度最高;当电流20 A,进口气体速度10 m/s,管道半径2.5 mm时,出口处平均速度最大。并对仿真得到的放电电压进行了实验验证,在等离子体参数相似的情况下,实验结果与仿真结果吻合较好。     

考虑金属蒸汽的钨极惰性气体保护焊电弧与熔池交互作用三维数值分析

基于局域热平衡状态假设并考虑金属蒸汽的作用, 建立了钨极惰性气体保护焊电弧与熔池交互作用的三维数学模型. 电弧等离子体的热力学参数和输运系数由温度和金属蒸汽浓度共同决定, 并使用第二黏度近似简化处理金属蒸汽在氩等离子中的输运过程. 在考虑熔池流动时, 主要考虑了浮力、电磁力、表面张力和等离子流拉力的作用. 通过对麦克斯韦方程组、连续性方程、动量守恒方程、能量守恒方程和组分输运方程的耦合求解, 得到了金属蒸汽在电弧中的空间分布、电弧和熔池的温度场、速度场和电流密度分布等重要结果. 通过与未考虑金属蒸汽的结果对比, 研究了熔池上表面产生的金属蒸汽对电弧等离子体行为的影响, 以及电弧等离子对熔池行为的影响. 结果表明, 金属蒸汽主要富集在熔池上表面附近; 金属蒸汽对电弧等离子体有明显的收缩作用, 而对等离子速度和电势影响较小; 金属蒸汽的出现对熔池上表面速度分布和剪切力分布以及熔池形貌并无明显影响. 求解结果与已有的实验结果和计算结果符合良好.     

Numerical modelling of unsteady heating and melting of the anode by electric arc. Part 1. Mathematical model and computed characteristics of the arc column

The two-dimensional mathematical model in the approximation of a partial local thermodynamic equilibrium of plasma and the technique for numerical computation of the unsteady electric arc characteristics, including the conjugate heat exchange of the electric-arc plasma flow with the treated product (anode) are considered. The results of overall testing of the numerical algorithm point to the correctness of the model and computational technique. The results of the computation of the arc characteristics from the conventional ignition moment until the passage to stationary regime are presented. It is found that a single thermal torus, which scatters fairly quickly in the ambient medium, forms around the arc column.     

Dependence of Arc Plasma Dispersion Capability on its Temperature

The relationship between the dispersion capability and the temperature of argon arc plasma at 1 atm is deduced in view of the plasma＇s refractive index equation. The results indicate that argon arc plasma has a normal dispersion and its dispersion capability is nonlinear to the plasma＇s temperature in a wide range of temperature and wavelength region. According to the results of numerical calculation, the preferred optical methods are believed to be suitable for the diagnosis of argon arc plasma in different temperature regions.     

An Efficient Spectroscopic Control — Technique of the Parameters of Thermic Plasmas Produced under the Condition of a Variable Current

The spectroscopic diagnostics has been carried out as an example for an argon plasma from Maecker-Shumaker type electric arc supplied by periodic variable current. It is shown that the time-dependent runs of intensity of the plasma light may be determined using an ordinary oscilloscope. We have stated that the electron concentration N_e in the plasma is the most sensitive quantity to the current pulsations. In the percentage, N_e variations at the arc axis are approximately the same as the current ones.     

Plasma generation for the plasma cutting process

This study is an attempt to estimate the overall properties, viz. the thermal power and force, of an intense plasma jet produced by a plasma cutting torch, and to relate the properties of the plasma to the diameter of the nozzle of the plasma torch and the flow rate of plasma-forming gas. For cutting metallic plates using a thermal plasma, a narrow plasma jet is produced by means of a transferred electric are between an electrode in a plasma torch and the material to be cut. The power density and pressure exerted by the plasma jet on the material at the region of cut needs to be high so that a straight cut, without dress at the bottom of the plate, can be obtained. A simple theory to describe the behavior of the arc in a plasma cutting torch has been developed to predict the are radius, pressure, and arc voltage at the nozzle exit as a function of are current for a range of nozzle sizes and air flow rates. The results obtained are in good agreement with the measured values for an air plasma cutting torch nominally rated for 100-A operation. The relationships between the mass flow rate of plasma gas, plasma power, and arc force have been discussed in the light of design of plasma torches for plasma cutting     

Parameters of free-burning arc discharge plasma in air with silver-based electrodes

We have used optical spectroscopy to study the radial temperature profiles for an electric arc plasma between silver electrodes and electrodes made from composite materials based on silver (Ag-CdO). We studied the structural changes in the working layers of the electrodes by metallography. We established that the parameters of the arc discharge plasma are determined by the condition of the electrode surface. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 73, No. 3, pp. 375–379, May–June, 2006.