Abstract
A 3-phase a.c. arc plasma reactor with large volume plasma has been developed for the synthesis of new carbon nano-structures. One of the main characteristics of the plasma system is related to the absence of a fixed neutral point. This gives rise to a rich and complex phenomenology related to instabilities and arc motion since the arcs are ``burning'' freely in the gas flow between the three electrodes.This paper is dedicated to the analysis of the behavior of such a system under typical conditions using argon and nitrogen as plasma gases. A classification of arc configuration, arc commutating, arc interaction, arc motion and arc instabilities are discussed based on ultra high-speed cine camera analysis. A simple model describing the time evolution of the system is also presented and compared with the experimental measurements. The results show that an adequate control could allow the improvement of the overall system.
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