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Observation of arc modes in a magnetically rotating arc plasma generator
Author(s) -
Wang Cheng,
Cui Haichao,
Zhang Zelong,
Xia Weiluo,
Xia Weidong
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
contributions to plasma physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.531
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1521-3986
pISSN - 0863-1042
DOI - 10.1002/ctpp.201700056
Subject(s) - arc (geometry) , plasma , plasma arc welding , electric arc , mechanics , magnetic field , generator (circuit theory) , flow (mathematics) , materials science , volumetric flow rate , atomic physics , physics , electrode , thermodynamics , geometry , mathematics , power (physics) , quantum mechanics
An arc plasma can present various forms under the influence of an external magnetic field. In this study, a magnetically rotating arc plasma generator has been developed to produce three arc modes, namely rigid arc, distorted arc, and diffuse arc, which are obtained by controlling the gas flow rate. The evolution of these arc modes are experimentally studied and discussed. Results show that, as the gas flow rate increases, the arc mode is first transformed from the rigid to the distorted mode, and then to the diffuse mode. Comparisons show that the location of the arc attachment is a key factor in determining the rigid and distorted modes. The diffuse arc is observed under larger gas flow rates, but the completely diffuse arc can exist only within a narrow range of gas flow rates. Compared to the distorted arc, the diffuse arc has not only better stability but also a wider high‐temperature plasma zone, which indicates that the diffuse mode may be more useful in industry.