Oleg J. Yas' ko
Heat & Mass Transfer Institute, Academy of Sciences of Belarus
A. M. Esipchuk
Heat & Mass Transfer Institute, Academy of Sciences of Belarus; Instituto de Fisica "Gleb Wataghin", Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Unicamp, 13083-970, Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Zhou Quing
Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands
D. C. Schram
Dept. of Applied Physics, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Generalization of average electric field strength for different discharge conditions in longitudinally blown arcs is considered. Experimental data for distinctive
devices and different gases are used for physical modelling. Analysis has shown that heat transfer processes are responsible for I−E characteristic formation.
Turbulent heat transfer was found to be the most effective for atmospheric pressure discharges while convection plays the main role in vacuum arcs. A generalized I−E characteristic is obtained.