Inductive RF discharge in water vapor in toroidal geometry

Abstract

This paper presents the results of comparative experiments on the excitation of inductively coupled plasma in water vapor in cylindrical and toroidal discharge chambers having the same outer diameter. The plasma temperature in the cylindrical and toroidal chambers was determined using the Boltzmann plot method. With equal discharge power and pressure, the temperature in the toroidal chamber was found to be higher than that in the cylindrical chamber. This is attributed to the lower heat transfer and the absence of a near-axial layer in the toroidal chamber as compared with cylindrical geometry.