Ehsan HASHEMI, Kaveh NIAYESH, Hossein MOHSENI

Effect of transverse magnetic field on low pressure argon discharge

A numerical simulation was performed to investigate the effect of transverse magnetic fields on low pressure argon plasma. Discovering the variations in electric field, electric potential, power consumption in plasma, and dominant physical mechanisms after application of magnetic fields is the main output of this analysis. A simulation was performed using the finite element method. A 2-fluid model equipped with chemical reaction equations in argon plasma, heat transfer equation, and Poisson s equation was used to describe the plasma behavior. Two disk-shaped electrodes separated by 12 mm from each other were considered as a plasma chamber and an external transverse magnetic field applied. Simulation results show an upset in the electric field after application of a magnetic field. This perturbation is because of the change in particle velocities due to the magnetic field. Changes in electric potential distribution, power loss, and heat transfer procedure are the events described in this paper.

PDF

___

[1] Boxman R, Goldsmith S, Izraeli I, Shalev S. A model of the multicathode-spot vacuum arc. IEEE T Plasma Sci 1983; 33: 138-145.
[2] Keidar M, Beilis I, Boxman R, Goldsmith S. Potential and current distribution in the interelectrode gap of the vacuum arc in a magnetic field. In: XVIIth International Symposium on Discharges and Electrical Insulation in Vacuum; 21-26 July 1996; Berkeley, CA, USA. pp. 146-150.
[3] Schade E, Shmelev D. Numerical simulation of high-current vacuum arcs with an external axial magnetic field. IEEE T Plasma Sci 2003; 31: 890-901.
[4] Shmelev D, Delachaux T. Physical modeling and numerical simulation of constricted high-current vacuum arcs under the influence of a transverse magnetic field. IEEE T Plasma Sci 2009; 37: 1379-1385.
[5] Dullni E, Schade E, Shang W. Vacuum arcs driven by cross-magnetic fields (RMF). IEEE T Plasma Sci 2003; 31: 902-908.
[6] Schade E. Physics of high-current interruption of vacuum circuit breakers. IEEE T Plasma Sci 2005; 33: 1564-1575.
[7] Chaly A, Logatchev A, Zabello K, Shkolnik S. High-current vacuum arc appearance in nonhomogeneous axial magnetic field. IEEE T Plasma Sci 2003; 31: 884-889.
[8] Zabello K, Barinov Y, Chaly A, Logatchev A, Shkolnik S. Experimental study of cathode spot motion and burning voltage of low-current vacuum arc in magnetic field. IEEE T Plasma Sci 2005; 5: 1553-1559.
[9] Emtage P, Kimblin C, Gorman J, Holmes F, Heberlein J, Voshall R, Slade P. Interaction between vacuum arcs and transverse magnetic fields with application to current limitation. IEEE T Plasma Sci 1980; 4: 314-319.
[10] Surzhikov S, Shang J. Normal glow discharge in axial magnetic field. Plasma Sources Sci T 2014; 23: 054017.
[11] Bellan P. Fundamentals of Plasma Physics. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2008.
[12] Hagelaar G, Pitchford L. Solving the Boltzmann equation to obtain electron transport coefficients and rate coeffi- cients for fluid models. Plasma Sources Sci T 2005; 14: 722-733.
[13] Sam S, Haung S, Freeman G. Electron transport in gaseous and liquid argon: effects of density and temperature. Phys Rev A 1981; 2: 714-724.
[14] Neufeld P, Janzen A, Aziz R. Empirical equations to calculate 16 of the transport collision integrals for the LennardJones potential. J Chem Phys 1972; 57: 1100-1102.
[15] Kee R, Coltrin M, Glarborg P. Chemically Reacting Flow Theory and Practice. New York, NY, USA: Wiley, 2003.
[16] Bird R, Stewart W, Lightfoot E. Transport Phenomena. 2d ed. New York, NY, USA: Wiley, 2002.
[17] Niayesh K, Hashemi E, Agheb E, Jadidian J. Subnanosecond breakdown mechanism of low-pressure gaseous spark gap. IEEE T Plasma Sci 2008; 4: 930-931.
[18] COMSOL Inc. COMSOL Multiphysics 4.2a. User Manual, Plasma Module Theory. Burlington, MA, USA: COMSOL, 2011.