Abstract
Thermal plasma of electric arc is widely used in various technological applications: welding, cutting, lamps, spraying, protection of electrical installations, etc. Process efficiency is defined by different parameters that determine arc operation and influence the energy transfer within the medium. All energy exchanges depend on the medium, which is modified by the presence of the arc and more particularly by the appearance of new species from contact erosion. Sintered Cu-Cr composites are widely used as electrical contacts for vacuum circuit breakers. These materials take advantage of the high thermal and electrical conductivity of Cu and of the refractory and oxygen getter properties of reinforcing Cr particles. The aim of this paper is to give results of the calculation of the equilibrium composition of argon and air plasma with various admixtures of Cu and Cr.
Highlights
The complex description of the events taking place in the plasma is based on experimental and/or theoretical data, the correlation of which results from a suitable theoretical model
One of the key data that is necessary in any modeling scenario is the amount of substances present at a given plasma location. This composition may change over time, as other parameters change, all chemical processes occurring in the system are directed towards equilibrium and the system is considered to be in the local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE)
The equilibrium composition of the air plasma with admixtures of Cu and Cr and argon plasma with admixtures of Cu and Cr was calculated using the “Tmdgas” computer code [11] with input data “species” which is a part of the database system “TheCoufal” [5]
Summary
The complex description of the events taking place in the plasma is based on experimental and/or theoretical data, the correlation of which results from a suitable theoretical model. The results of theoretical modeling are important because they allow to replace missing experimental data, and because based on these, it is possible to interpret and evaluate the measured values. One of the key data that is necessary in any modeling scenario is the amount of substances present at a given plasma location. This composition may change over time, as other parameters change, all chemical processes occurring in the system are directed towards equilibrium and the system is considered to be in the local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE). The range of requirements for the contact materials is diverse. The materials should be environmentally friendly [1]
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