Progress in Plasma Processing of Materials, 2003

ISBN Print: 978-1-56700-192-1

ISBN Online: 978-1-56700-447-2

COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES FOR THE TREATMENT OF THE ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD FOR STUDYING INDUCTIVELY-COUPLED PLASMA TORCHES BY MEANS OF THE FLUENT© CODE

DOI: 10.1615/ITPPC-2002.170
pages 135-140

Abstrakt

A new technique for the treatment of the electromagnetic field is proposed for numerically studying inductively coupled plasma torches within FLUENT© environment. The method is based on the use of a linked external routine which fully solves the electromagnetic field equations on an extended grid, allowing the fluid-dynamics domain to be limited to the torch region. The advantages of the new approach with respect to that using entirely FLUENT© are pointed out. Comparisons between results obtained employing either magnetic dipole or zero potential boundary conditions for the electromagnetic field are presented. All the calculations have been performed for a 2D axisymmetric torch under the assumptions of laminar flow for the L.T.E., optically thin argon plasma.