Mihail K. Mihovsky
PLASMALAB - Plasma Metallurgy Research Laboratory, University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy - Sofia, 8 Kliment Ohridsky Blvd., 1156, Sofia, Bulgaria
V. Angelova
University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy, PLASMALAB, 1156 Sofia, 8 Kl. Ohridsky Blvd., Bulgaria
Valentin Metodiev Petkov
Gabrovo Technical University, 4, Hadji Dimitar, Str. 5300 Gabrovo, Bulgaria
PLASMALAB has designed and manufactured a plasma-arc remelting furnace with water cooled copper crystallizer for effective fine scrap (turnings) remelting and for obtaining high quality continuous casting ingots.
An original transferred arc plasma torch with hollow cathode was developed. The special feature of this construction is that the processed material is blown with additional plasma gas through the hollow cathode into the space inside the tubular plasma arc.
Through simulation modeling the speed and the temperature field of tubular plasma arc were determined.
Solving the heat conductivity equation for spherical particle made it possible to determine the duration of heating and smelting and the optimal energy and geometrical parameters of the tubular plasma arc.