NUMERICAL ANALYSIS OF MOMENTUM, HEAT AND MASS TRANSFER BETWEEN NITROGEN PLASMA AND INJECTED Al PARTICLES IN AXISYMMETRIC REACTOR

A mathematical model for axisymmetric turbulent two phase particle laden plasma flow has been used for numerical analysis of interphase momentum heat and mass transfer during evaporation of Al particles, injected in a nitrogen plasma flow. Computed fields of stream function and plasma temperature, particle trajectories and some parameters (plasma and particle temperature, particle Re, Nu and Kn^* numbers, influence of evaporation and noncontinuum effects on momentum heat and mass transfer, ratio of radiative to conductive and convective heat transferred to the particles and instantaneous particle diameter) along their trajectories are presented and discussed. Results of analysis show that there are numerous critical parameters affecting evaporation which must be considered and/or carefully optimized in order to obtain a highly efficient process.