Progress in Plasma Processing of Materials, 2003

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

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

THE CHARACTERISTIC FREQUENCY OF THE VOLTAGE FLUCTUATIONS IN THE PLASMATRON WITH SELF-ESTABLISHED ARC LENGTH

DOI: 10.1615/ITPPC-2002.290
pages 237-242

Abstract

An attempt is made to determine the common mechanism underlying the fluctuations of electric arc voltage, the arc channel carried downstream and the rerouting of the arc to the anode wall (shunting). The understanding is achieved for the mechanism of shunting in the plasmatron with self-established arc length, where the cathode is located at the axis and channel walls serve as an anode. A formula is found determining the dependency of the characteristic frequency of the voltage fluctuations on the external data: the arc current, the working gas flow rate and the characteristic diameter of channel. It is shown that the kind of influence of the gas flow rate on the voltage fluctuation frequency is subject to the magnetohydrodynamic interaction parameter (MHDIP).