Plasma shield for in-air beam processes
- Collider-Accelerator Department, Building 901A, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973 (United States)
A novel concept/apparatus, the Plasma Shield, is introduced in this paper. The purpose of the Plasma Shield is designed to shield a target object chemically and thermally by engulfing an area subjected to beam treatment with inert plasma. The shield consists of a vortex-stabilized arc that is employed to shield beams and workpiece area of interaction from an atmospheric or liquid environment. A vortex-stabilized arc is established between a beam generating device (laser, ion or electron gun) and a target object. The arc, which is composed of a pure noble gas, engulfs the interaction region and shields it from any surrounding liquids like water or reactive gases. The vortex is composed of a sacrificial gas or liquid that swirls around and stabilizes the arc. The successful Plasma Shield was experimentally established and very high-quality electron beam welding with partial plasma shielding was performed. The principle of the operation and experimental results are discussed in the paper.
- OSTI ID:
- 21120406
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 15, Issue 5; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2837052; (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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