Three-dimensional numerical simulation of heating and melting behaviors of cerium oxide powders in radio frequency thermal plasma

Abstract

The present study aims at the numerical simulations of the melting process of cerium oxide particles in RF thermal plasma. The physical model and the calculating method were described firstly; the interaction between cerium oxide particles and plasma was analyzed; specific attention was given to the effects of particle initial size, injection velocity on the particle melting and trajectory in plasma. The influence of the temperature field and velocity field distribution of the plasma around the particle trajectory on the melting effect is analyzed, and the relationship between the heat absorption efficiency of the particles and the particle size reduction process is further determined. It is also found that there exists an optimal particle initial injection velocity which led to a more concentrated final particle size distribution and a more significant reduction of particle size. The results could provide effective guidance for understanding the plasma spheroidization process of uranium dioxide and cerium dioxide powder particles.