Study of Gas Heating by a Microwave Plasma Torch

Abstract

Among the different types of microwave plasma torches, the axial injection torch (TIA) has been used for several years to create chemically active species, in applications such as gas analysis, surface processing and gaseous waste treatments. The TIA allows the coupling of microwave energy (2.45 GHz) to a gas injected axially at the nozzle's exit. The TIA produces non-local thermodynamic equilibrium plasmas with a high luminosity and a maximum density of charged particles at the nozzle's exit. The present work is dedicated to study the plasma created by a TIA running at atmospheric pressure. The study involves both experiment and modeling of this torch, in order to maximize the coupling between the microwave power and the plasma and to define the optimum plasma and flow operating conditions for plasma-togas heat transfer.