A two-dimensional nonequilibrium model of cascaded arc plasma flows

Journal Article · Sun Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1991 · Physics of Fluids B; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.859967· OSTI ID:5311428

Beulens, J J; Milojevic, D; Schram, D C; Vallinga, P M ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics, Eindhoven University of Technology, P. O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven (The Netherlands)

A nonequilibrium model is developed for the prediction of two-dimensional flow, electron and heavy particle temperatures, and number density distributions in cascaded arcs of monatomic gases. The system of strongly coupled elliptic partial differential equations describing plasma flow is solved by a numerical method based on a control volume with a nonstaggered numerical grid. The model is applied for the computation of both stagnation and flowing argon arc plasmas. The results show that the plasma in stagnation arcs is nearly in local thermal equilibrium (LTE), except very close to the wall, whereas fast flowing arc plasmas exhibit a significant degree of nonequilibrium, both close to the wall and in the inlet region. The results of the calculations are in satisfactory agreement with experimental data, both for the cases of stagnation and flowing argon cascaded arc plasmas.

• OSTI ID: 5311428
• Journal Information: Physics of Fluids B; (United States), Journal Name: Physics of Fluids B; (United States) Vol. 3:9; ISSN 0899-8221; ISSN PFBPE
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640410* -- Fluid Physics-- General Fluid Dynamics
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ACCURACY
CALCULATION METHODS
CORRELATIONS
COUPLING
CURRENTS
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
ELECTRIC ARCS
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ELECTRON TEMPERATURE
EQUATIONS
ION TEMPERATURE
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
PLASMA
PLASMA DENSITY
PLASMA DRIFT
STAGNATION
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
USES