Computation of inductively coupled air plasma flow in the torches

Abstract

Software was developed to calculate electric field amplitude in the induction plasmatron discharge channel in framework of 2D model with far field boundary conditions. This code was integrated with the solver for Navier-Stokes equations for plasma flow in the plasmatron channel. Numerical simulation of inductively coupled plasma flow was carried out for the channels of IPG-4 and IPG-3 induction plasmatrons operating in IPMech RAS. Computations were performed twice: first, the electric field amplitude was calculated with the more accurate 2D model, next - with the simplified 1D model to provide detailed compare of the accuracy of results obtained with use of 1D model. The gas-dynamic parameters (flow velocity, temperature) at the exit section of the channels obtained with 1D model are within the error from 0.4% to 4% for IPG-4 plasmatron; the corresponding error for IPG-3 plasmatron is 16% to 26%. Numerical simulation results for IPG-3 plasmatron are presented for the first time.