CODE-TO-CODE VALIDATION OF INDUCTIVE PLASMA COMPUTATIONS

This contribution presents well documented numerical calculations of an argon inductive plasma torch under conditions of local thermodynamic equilibrium. Calculations are performed with the codes of two different groups (IPM, Moscow and VKI, Brussels) for the the IPG4 plasma torch of the IPM. Errors introduced by using a simplified formulation of the MHD induction equation are evaluated at low and high torch operating frequencies. IPM and VKl calculations are compared at pressures of .1 and .04 atm. Flow and temperature fields calculated with both codes agree well; differences may be explained in terms of the different approaches taken in both codes.