Investigation of the Conditions for the Occurrence of an Arc Discharge During Current Supply Through a Fuel-Plasma Jet

Abstract

When the slag melt is heated by a DC electric arc, a plasma-arc current lead expands the possibilities of controlling the slag targeting speed due to the dissipation of the arc spot along the slag surface and the gas supply to the arc. The paper describes the calculations, carried out to assess the possibility of using slag as the ballast resistance in the plasma torch power supply system. A zone of stable operation of the plasma torch using this technique is found. In the course of experiments conducted on a special test bench, the processes of transition of a dissipated discharge from a plasma-arc current lead into a contracted arc were studied. The possibility of organizing a plasma-arc current lead when propane is fed into a plasma jet, organized by an air plasma torch, is investigated. The results obtained can be used in the development of industrial devices for slag melting using DC arcs.