Numerical simulation of flow and temperature distribution in a transferred argon arc plasma enclosed in a chamber

A mathematical model was developed for predicting the flow characteristics and temperature distribution of a transferred arc plasma enclosed in a cylindrical chamber. The simulation incorporated the k-ε turbulence model to account for turbulent flow of the introduced gas. The model was adopted to a supplied current of 200 A, an arc length of 0.01 m, and Argon gas inflow rates of 3.33×10^-4 and 6.67×10^-4 m³/s. Good agreement of the calculated isotherms in the arc with measured temperatures available from the literature was obtained, thus validating the model. The gas introduced through the nozzle was observed to pass along the edge of the arc region and creep close to the wall, result in a recirculating flow that covers most of the chamber. A high temperature region concentrated only at the vicinity of the electrodes, while substantially lower temperatures were predicted in most sections of the chamber away from the arc.