THERMAL PLASMA TORCHES AND TECHNOLOGIES THERMAL PLASMA TORCHES AND TECHNOLOGIES Volume 1: Plasma Torches. Basic Studies and Design edited by O.P. Solonenko Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE PUBLISHING Published by Cambridge International Science Publishing 7 Meadow Walk, Great Abington, Cambridge CB1 6AZ, UK http://www.cisp-publishing.com Published 2003 © Cambridge International Science Publishing Conditions of sale All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 1 898326592 Contents Electric Arc Generators of Thermal Plasma: Review (M.F. Zhukov) ..............1 Trends in Thermal Plasma Technology (L.F. Pfender)......................................20 Integrated Analysis of Induction Plasma Systems (M.I. Boulos)......................42 Plasma Metallurgy: Current State, Problems and Prospects (Yu.V. Tsvetkov) 62 Atmosphere Plasma Spraying: Theory, Modelling, Diagnostics, Computer- Aided Design and Some Applications (O.P. Solonenko)...............................80 Metallic and Ceramic Materials: Present and Future (V.A. Neronov)..........102 Extreme Technologies in Building Material Production (G.G. Volokitin, V.E. Borzykh, N.K. Skripnikova).................................................................... 112 Achievements of Plasma Tomography (V.V. Pickalov)......................................123 New Vortex Method of Plasma Insulation and the Ranque Effect (A. Gutsol and J.A. Bakken)..............................................................................................133 Physical Phenomena in a Hollow Cathode and Interaction of Powder with the Vacuum Arc (V.S. Cherednichenko, A.B. Zagorskii and L.K. Pavlenko) .. ..........................................................................................................................150 Experimental Investigation of Electric, Energetic and Optical Character- istics of the Induction Transformer-Type Discharge (I.M. Ulanov and S.N. Soldatov)..................................................................................................166 Mathematical Modelling of Transformer Discharge (E.B. Kulumbaev and V.M. Lelevkin)..................................................................................................175 Integrated Method of Research of Processes in Thermal Plasma Generators (O.Y. Novikov and V.F. Putko)....................................................191 Modelling of Electric Arc Plasma (A. Zhainakov, R. Urusov and A. Valeeva) 197 On the Problem of Turbulent Arc Modelling (O.I. Yas'ko)..............................206 Energy Characteristics of Electric Arc Heaters for Tetrafluoromethane (A.N. Timoshevskii, B.A. Pozdnyakov and V.S. Ponkratov) ...................................224 Numerical Investigation of the Characteristics of a Steady Curved Arc in External Fields (G.A. Desyatkov, V.Ts. Gurovich and E.B. Kulumbaev)....231 Properties of Water-Stabilized Plasma Torches (M. Hrabovsky, M. Konrad, V. Kopecky and V. Sember)..................................................................................242 Modeling of a D. C. Arc Plasma Torch with a Hydrogen-Argon Mixture as the Working Gas (Xi Chen, Peng Han and Lan Yu)................................267 The Modified Balance Method of Calculating Characteristics of Near- Anode Processes (Yu.V. Bruevich, I.P. Nazarenko and I.G. Panevin) .........280 Application of Heat Diffusion Theory to Cold Electrode Erosion for Nonsta- tionary Arc Spots (A. Marotta and L.I. Sharakhovsky)..............................291 Emission Current Density and Electronic Work Function of Metal to Plasma (H.Ts. Zayatuev).................................................................................310 Erosion of Multi-arc Cathodes (A.N. Timoshevkii and V.S. Ponkratov)..........319 Influence of Three-Phase Electric Arcs, Burning on Oxide Melts, on Quality of Electric Power (U.B. Ashimov, E.A. Abdrachmanov, G.D. Manapova and T.S. Maldybaeva)...................................................................326 Modelling of Flow Stabilization by the Swirl of a Peripheral Flow as Applied to Plasma Reactors (E.P. Volchkov, V.P. Lebedev, V.I. Terekhov and N.E. Shishkin)..................................................................................................335 Low-density Plasma Jets: Production and Investigation (L.I. Kuznetsov and V.N. Yarygin)....................................................................................................352 Effect of Arc Current Modulation on Thermal Plasma Flow in Plasma Torches (F.A. Salyanov).................................................................................................365 Mikhail F. Zhukov PREFACE (cid:1)(cid:2)(cid:3)(cid:1)(cid:4)(cid:5)(cid:3)(cid:6)(cid:5)(cid:7)(cid:2)(cid:8)(cid:9)(cid:3)(cid:2)(cid:10)(cid:3)(cid:6)(cid:11)(cid:12)(cid:4)(cid:13)(cid:11)(cid:14)(cid:3)(cid:15)(cid:16)(cid:3)(cid:17)(cid:4)(cid:18)(cid:12)(cid:2)(cid:19) Our original intention was to publish this two-volume book at the occasion of the 80th birthday of Prof. Mikhail F. Zhukov, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, one of the leading Russian and CIS scientists working in the area of plasma science and technol- ogy. Unfortunately, Prof Zhukov died in December 1999 and we would therefore like to devote this book to the life and scientific achievement of this outstanding scientist, pioneer of thermal plasma. He was born September 6, 1917 and graduated from the Moscow State University (in mechanics) in 1941. He started working as an engineer in the Zhukovsky Central Aerodynamics Institute. In 1946- 1959, he was the head of the department in the Central Institute of Airplane Engines. Since 1960 until his death, Mikhail F. Zhukov worked in the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Zhukov’s fundamental investigations in the fields of gas dynamics and elec- tric arc thermal plasma are well known in Russia and abroad. The scope of his scientific interests was very wide: supersonic compressors, new types of wind tunnels, near-electrode processes, electrode erosion, heat transfer, arcing stability, new plasma technologies, etc. Zhukov’s scientific school on plasma dynamics is known to both Russian and foreign investigators. M.F. Zhukov was a pioneer of experimental investigations of thermal plasma generators. He and his disciples were the first involved in the study of some fundamental physical processes in electric arc plasma. He developed a universal system of similarity criteria and estimated the significance of these values under specific arcing conditions. He elaborated the arcing theory in a laminar flow. His engineering methods for designing the elec- tric and thermal characteristics of electric arc plasma torches are used widely in the development of laboratory and industrial apparatuses. Zhukov’s team have carried out numerous investigations concerning near-electrode processes, heat transfer through the arc spot, ‘split- ting’ of the closing radial part of the arc in linear scheme plasma torches. They have also investigated the problem of stability of multi- arc system operation without a ballast resistance in the electric circuit. These studies allowed the development of highly effective linear plasma generators and high-current cathode units with a long operation time in different gas media. Twenty years ago, he put forward a hypothesis about the recirculation of cathode material’s atoms close to the surface. This was discovered later in experiments. It was a specific case, but it opened the way to solving the problem. A new class of high- resource cathodes has been developed, including the non-erosion cathode working in a carbon-containing medium. Powerful high-enthalpy arc plasma generators with interelectrode inserts were developed under the supervision of M.F. Zhukov. They are widely used in plasma chemical technologies. There were sig- nificant achievements in the production of ultrafine powder of refractory compounds, synthesized in plasma chemical reactors. These powders are also used in metallurgy for the improvement of the physical and mechanical properties of ferrous and nonferrous metals. M. Zhukov’s intuition and his vision of future conditioned the appearance in the 1980s of a new scientific and technological direction – plasma dynamics of dispersed systems. His achievements determined the progress in plasma-jet spraying with powder coatings and com- positions. His team has made a great contribution to the investigation and practical realization of plasma (no fuel oil) igniters in the grid- coal power stations. The popularization of science achievements and their applications received a lot of attention from M. Zhukov. He wrote and spoke about different subjects: plasma for powder spraying, metal cutting and processing, waste treatment, recirculation of toxic waste to a serviceable product, etc. He often spoke at lectures to engineering public, sci- entific-practical workshops, radio and TV. Thus, he promoted the whole range of possible practical applications of electric-arc thermal plasma in new technologies. M.F. Zhukov is the author of many books and articles. With his participation and under his editing, the whole series of famous books with plasma torch construction has been published. The publication of 20-volume series ‘Low-Temperature Plasma’ will soon be com- pleted. Many of these books have became essential reading for re- searchers and specialists in the field of thermal and low-tempera- ture plasma. These editions have became a theoretical tool for the design and manufacturing of high-efficiency equipment for new plasma technologies. Mikhail Zhukov was a man of many interests. In addition to carrying out extensive investigations, he was an organizer and participant of conferences and workshops on gas-discharge plasma for almost forty years. From 1975 until 1980, M.F. Zhukov was the Chief Scientific Secretary of the Presidium of the Siberian Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences. He was the Editor-in chief of the journal ‘Communications of SB AS USSR’ for 15 years, and a member of the Editorial board of ‘Contributions to Plasma Physics’. Mikhail F. Zhukov was the Acad- emician of the International Energy Academy, a Honorable Academician of the Engineering Sciences Academy. M.F. Zhukov was the Head of the Plasma Dynamics Department of the Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics of the Sibe- rian Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences. He was absorbed with new creative plans and aspirations. This book is published as a result of international scientific and technical discussions and collaboration which took place during the preparation and running of 3rd International Workshop on Thermal Plasma Torches and Technologies (TPPT’97) (25-29 August, 1997, Novosibirsk, Akademgorodok, Russia). The organisation of this Workshop and preparation of this collection were sponsored by the Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Samsung Heavy Industries Co. Ltd., Daeduk R&D Center (Taejeon, Korea), Gusinoozyerskaya GRES (Gusinoozyersk, Russia), Novosibirsk Plant ‘Khimkontsentrat’ (Nov- osibirsk, Russia) and Production-Promotion Company ‘Mercury-II’ Ltd. (Tomsk, Russia). Leading scientists presenting the scientific school of Prof. Mikhael F. Zhukov and other leading scientists in plasma research and de- velopment from Russia, CIS, USA, Canada, France, Japan, Czech Republic, China, Brazil, Norway, Yugoslavia and Korea have con- tributed this book. Prof. Oleg P. Solonenko, Editor