Arc Expansion Research Articles

Experimental study of CO2 dissociation in an expanding dc arc discharge at atmospheric pressure with multiple pin-to-pin electrodes

In the following study, we examine the performance of a new design of the classic gliding arc discharge (GAD) with diverging electrodes between dielectric walls at atmospheric pressure. In the present design, a tungsten pin-to-pin electrode pair ladder replaces the standard curved diverging electrodes. A major problem with the classic GAD design is the surface erosion of the electrodes, which leads to bad repeatability and issues with long-term usage. The new construction provides controlled electrode wear at well-defined points of arc attachment. This ensures stable operation while retaining the arc expansion effect. This new configuration of the discharge is being developed for gas treatment. In the current work, the device was applied for CO2 dissociation. The most significant quantities for this application of the GAD, the CO2 conversion rate and energy efficiency, are measured at different gas flow rates (2–12 Ln/min) and arc currents (50–210 mA). The results are analyzed and compared with previous measurements using the classic GAD at the same conditions.

Experimental investigation on the characteristic and voltage of low-current vacuum arc in vacuum OLTC

Due to vacuum interrupter's excellent interruption performance, an increasing number of on-load tap-changers (OLTCs) have chosen it as a load changeover switch in recent years. The stability of the arcing process is crucial for the interruption since the vacuum interrupter in OLTC must break current frequently with the requirement of long electrical life. In this paper, experiments on butt contacts and axial magnetic field (AMF) contacts applied in OLTC were carried out in a demountable vacuum chamber, and the arcing process was investigated by a high-speed camera. Investigations were conducted on the effects of opening speed, opening phase, current amplitude, and AMF on arc characteristics, e.g., arc expansion and arc voltage. The experiment findings demonstrated that expansion and instability of arc increased with higher opening speed, number of cathode spots moving to the inclined surface decreased with shorter arcing time, and that cathode spots' propensity to form group cathode spots increased with higher current. AMF lessened the impact of high opening speed and high current on the arcing process. The investigation carried out in this paper helps to better understand the characteristics of arc evolution and the influence of some key factors, which may serve as a guide for improving the design and vacuum arc control of vacuum OLTCs.

A comparison of the swing and non-swing arc behavior in arc ultrasonic assisted narrow gap GMAW

The arc ultrasonic technology was applied to the swing arc narrow gap GMA welding process of aluminum alloy. The ultrasonic energy acts on the welding process by superimposing an ultrasonic current on the basis of pulsed welding current. The arc behavior will be significantly different from that in the conditions of non-narrow gap and non-swing due to influences from the narrow gap groove constraint and the arc swing. In this paper, the behavior of swing arc and non-swing arc at different positions in narrow gap groove are compared, and the influence mechanism of arc ultrasonic on arc behavior is analyzed. Results indicate that the arc expands after superposition of ultrasonic current, and that the arc behavior is different at different positions of the narrow gap groove. In the sidewall, the expansion degree of the non-swing arc is obviously greater than that of the swing arc. The swing arc area increases by 50.33% at most, and the non-swing arc area increases by 117.94% at most. In the groove bottom, the expansion degree of the swing arc is greater than that of the non-swing arc. The average area and width of the swing arc in the groove are nonlinear relationships with the ultrasonic current amplitude and a linear positive correlation with the ultrasonic frequency, respectively. Arc swing and ultrasonic action make the arc length longer. The difference in speed between arc expansion and contraction and the oscillation of arc plasma under the arc ultrasonic action together promote arc expansion.

A new understanding of laser-arc plasma interaction of hybrid welding based on arc layering behaviors

Current studies of laser-arc plasma interaction have been based on a single-layer structure but ignored the layering behaviors of the metal inert gas (MIG) arc, resulting in a lack of insight into some phenomena of laser-MIG hybrid welding. Here, the effects of laser power on the double-layer MIG composed of an outer plasma layer and a core metal vapor layer were investigated. The results showed that the emergence of arc layering was delayed by laser-arc plasma interaction, the time of which reached the maximum of 0.83 ms after the laser power increased to 4 kW, 1.66 times that of pure arc. Importantly, the outer layer was expanded, and the core layer was constricted by laser power, which was different from the previous argument that the arc was only compressed. An equivalent parallel circuit was proposed to reveal the current redistribution between the outer and core layers, and then the electromagnetic force was calculated to discuss the mechanism. Finally, the space-time evolution of the arc expansion and constriction phenomenon was described. These new findings explained the weld shape variations more reasonably and demonstrated the necessity to consider arc layering during laser-arc hybrid processes with a consumable electrode.

Formation mechanism of double-critical effect in hollow tungsten arc coaxially assisted by fiber laser welding

A hybrid welding method was designed using a hollow tungsten arc coaxially coupled with a continuous-mode fiber laser (HTAAL). Bead-on-plate experiments were performed to investigate its process characteristics and the coupling mechanism of the laser and arc. A double-critical effect was found, which indicated effective enhanced coupling of the laser and arc, and a nonlinear change of penetration with increase of laser power. The molten pool and composite arc images during HTAAL welding were recorded by a high-speed camera. The electron density of the composite plasma was calculated using spectral diagnostic data to analyze the influence of laser power on the welding process. A numerical simulation model was established, and the current density of the hollow tungsten discharge calculated under different laser powers to understand the physical changes induced by HTAAL welding. Upper and lower critical values were identified with an increase of laser power, which divided the HTAAL process into three stages associated with transformation of the hollow tungsten discharge: circular discharge, central-spot discharge, and arc expansion. These critical values of the double-critical effect are related to the current of the hollow tungsten arc: when the HTAAL current was 70 A, the lower and upper critical values were 60 W and 600 W, respectively.

Dynamic physical characteristics of DC arc on arcing horn for HVDC grounding electrode line

The dynamic physical characteristics of a DC arc on an arcing horn for a high voltage direct current (HVDC) grounding electrode line are significantly different from those of the switching device arc, secondary arc, AC fault arc and pantograph-catenary arc. In this work, an experimental platform for the DC arc on the arcing horn was built, and mechanisms of the arc column short circuit and arc root movement were studied. This work further analyzes the characteristics and mechanisms of the arc motion when wind speed and direction, magnetic field and the expansion angle of the electrode are varied. Arc root movement is more likely to occur at the upper electrode. There is a competitive relationship between arc expansion and the transferring effect. The effect of wind on the arc column is greater than the effect on the arc root. The magnetic field has a significant driving effect on both the arc column and the arc root. The research results provide a comprehensive experimental basis for further probing the method of DC arc suppression, and the improvement of the arcing horn.

Numerical investigation on transient arc characteristics and anode surface temperature considering the electrode movement

This work investigates the transient anode temperature and plasma parameters considering the electrode movement and the arc expansion. A transient self-consistent model is established using the dynamic mesh approach. Two cases with different maximum arc currents, representing various anode activity, have been studied. The simulations predict significant changes in spatial distribution of species densities, electron temperature and anode surface temperature in case with the anode spot formation. Furthermore, the influence of opening velocity on the plasma parameters has been studied numerically. The model was validated by comparison with experimental data for anode surface temperature as well as spectrally filtered arc images. Results of this comparison are presented and discussed.

The origin of Patagonia: insights from Permian to Middle Triassic magmatism of the North Patagonian Massif

AbstractWe conducted a U–Pb–Hf isotope study on zircon crystals from ignimbrites of the Changhsingian to Olenekian (253–248 Ma) Los Menucos Basin in the North Patagonian Massif (NPM), Argentina, in order to evaluate the age and petrogenesis of the magmas. Additionally, a compilation of whole-rock geochemistry and U–Pb–Hf in zircon isotope data for the Permian to Middle Triassic rocks of the NPM, for comparison with our data, was made to assess whether Patagonia would have been an exotic terrane accreted to SW Gondwana during the late Palaeozoic. We interpret the available U–Pb–Hf data to suggest that northern Patagonia experienced eastward arc expansion from the early Permian, about 273 Ma ago. This ∼820 km arc expansion event involved crustal shortening and magmatism with high-silica adakitic affinity, resulting in Hf-isotopic pull-down. At 253 Ma, slab steepening became associated with the coeval emplacement of ignimbrites of the Los Menucos Basin, which involved post-orogenic to intraplate magmatism. During the Middle Triassic, a slab break-off triggered uplift and basaltic underplating, promoting the emplacement of dike swarms with C-type adakitic signature at 246–244 Ma. The Hf isotope data for SW Gondwana for the same period indicate distinct trends that are explained here by differential slab roll-back since the Guadalupian, in a slab-tearing setting. Therefore, Permian to Middle Triassic magmatism is interpreted as having been associated with an eastward-directed proto-Pacific subduction system, which ultimately supports an autochthonous origin for Patagonia.

Muzzle Arc Flow Field Simulation of a Small Caliber Launcher

Muzzle arc is a general phenomenon when the armature leaves the muzzle, and it is also a reason for the complexity of intermediate ballistic of electromagnetic launchers. In this article, a 3-D model has been developed to investigate muzzle arc flow field in a smaller caliber launcher. The coupled interaction of electromagnetic, flow, and thermal fields is realized by the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) theory in conjunction with a renormalization group (RNG) <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$k$ </tex-math></inline-formula> - <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\varepsilon $ </tex-math></inline-formula> turbulence model. The arc boundary conditions, arc root radius, and time-dependent current density are reasonably set on the basis of the experimental data and physical process. Simulation results reveal the relationship between muzzle arc and muzzle voltage. The rising edge of muzzle voltage corresponds to the arc expansion stage. The falling edge corresponds to the muzzle breakdown stage. And the turning point from rising edge to falling edge is the moment of muzzle breakdown. The flat section corresponds to the arc extinguishing stage. The muzzle blowback is the consequence of the arc expansion which produces a compression wave moving toward the breech. The velocity of blowback flow decreases from 670 to 270 m/s during the arc expansion stage. Then, it increases to about 350 m/s and tends to be stable due to the muzzle breakdown.

Numerical simulation of anode heat transfer of nitrogen arc utilizing two-temperature chemical non-equilibrium model* *Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11735004 and 12005010).

A detailed understanding of anode heat transfer is important for the optimization of arc processing technology. In this paper, a two-temperature chemical non-equilibrium model considering the collisionless space charge sheath is developed to investigate the anode heat transfer of nitrogen free-burning arc. The temperature, total heat flux and different heat flux components are analyzed in detail under different arc currents and anode materials. It is found that the arc current can affect the parameter distributions of anode region by changing plasma characteristics in arc column. As the arc current increases from 100 A to 200 A, the total anode heat flux increases, however, the maximum electron condensation heat flux decreases due to the arc expansion. The anode materials have a significant effect on the temperature and heat flux distributions in the anode region. The total heat flux on thoriated tungsten anode is lower than that on copper anode, while the maximum temperature is higher. The power transferred to thoriated tungsten anode, ranked in descending order, is heat flux from heavy-species, electron condensation heat, heat flux from electrons and ion recombination heat. However, the electron condensation heat makes the largest contribution for power transferred to copper anode.

Effect of Longitudinal Magnetic Field on CMT Welding of Al-Alloy

A longitudinally varying magnetic field (MF) was applied during cold metal transfer (CMT) welding of Al alloys. The effect of MF on the welding process, macrostructure, microstructure and properties of weld beads was studied. The results showed that the application of MF led to arc expansion and rotation, the droplet transfer frequency decreased, the droplet volume became larger, and the droplets deflected. When the coil current was between 0 and 5 A, the weld beads porosity decreased from 4.47 to 0.26%. And when the coil current was increased to 8 A, the porosity of weld beads also increased to 2.84%. MF reduced the weld depth, wetting angle and weld reinforcement, and increased weld width. With the increase of coil current, the width of primary dendrite arms decreased from 7.75 to 5.01 μm. The area occupied by the Al–Si eutectic was enlarged, and the eutectic was refined. It was also found that the MF slightly increased the hardness of the weld beads, and the hardness distribution was more uniform.

Effect of TMF and AMF Components on Expansion Process in Different Ignition Modes of Vacuum Arc Between Spiral-Type TMF Contacts

The drawn vacuum arc begins with a bridge column formed from the explosion of a liquid metal bridge after separating the contacts. The expansion process of the initial arc has an effect on arc motion or diffusion. In order to deeply study the influence of transverse magnetic field (TMF) and axial magnetic field (AMF) on the drawn arc characteristics in the initial expansion stage, in this article, arc ignition mode and appearance under two groups of contacts with different AMF and TMF components were experimentally studied. It was found that simultaneously reducing TMF and AMF components would end the expansion stage earlier, and the fluctuation of the arc column pressure during the expansion was larger. When TMF and AMF components were further reduced, the arc needs to take a longer time to extend across the slot gap due to insufficient Ampere force. When TMF was basically unchanged and AMF was reduced, the arc burned more intense, the diameter of the arc column was smaller, and the arc would merge earlier in multipoint ignition mode. The characteristics of arc voltage, pressure, and duration of expansion stage were analyzed, founding that the arc with a moderate TMF and AMF components had a smaller rising slope of arc voltage, a faster reducing speed of arc pressure, and a smaller range of the duration of expansion stage. In addition, the variation of magnetic field strength in different ignition modes and contact structures during the arc expansion stage was simulated to explain the mechanism of arc behavior.

Comparative analysis of the arc characteristics inside the converging-diverging and cylindrical plasma torches

A two-temperature thermal non-equilibrium model is used to simulate and compare the arc characteristics within the converging-diverging and traditional cylindrical plasma torches. The modeling results show that the presence of the constrictor within the converging-diverging torch makes the evolution characteristics of the arc significantly different from that of cylindrical torch. Compared with a cylindrical geometrical torch, a much higher plasma flow velocity and relatively longer high temperature region can be generated and maintained inside the converging-diverging torch. In the constrictor of converging-diverging torch, the normalized radius of arc column increases and the degree of thermodynamic equilibrium of the plasma is significantly improved with the increase of axial distance. The radial momentum balance analysis shows that for the cylindrical torch, the pressure gradient that drives the arc expansion and the Lorentz force that drives the arc contraction dominate the radial evolution of the arc. While at the converging and constrictor region of a converging-diverging plasma torch, the radial gas dynamic forces in arc fringes pointing toward the arc center enhance the mixing of the cold gas of boundary layer with the high temperature gas of the arc center, increasing the average gas temperature and decreasing the thickness of cold boundary layer, thereby facilitating the formation of diffusion type arc anode attachment at the diverging section of torch.

Cretaceous Intraplate Contraction in Southern Patagonia: A Far‐Field Response to Changing Subduction Dynamics?

AbstractThe origin, extent, and timing of intraplate contraction in Patagonia are among the least understood geological processes of southern South America. Particularly, the intraplate Deseado fold‐thrust belt (FTB), located in the Patagonian broken foreland (47°–48°30′S), is one of the most enigmatic areas. In this belt, time constraints on tectonic events are limited and synorogenic deposits have not been documented so far. Furthermore, the driving mechanism for intraplate contraction remains unknown. In this study, we carried out a structural and sedimentological analysis. We report the first syntectonic deposits in this area in the Baqueró (Aptian) and Chubut (Cenomanian/Campanian) groups and a newly found unit referred to as the Albian beds (109.9 ± 1.5 Ma). Thus, several contractional stages in late Aptian, Albian, and Cenomanian‐Campanian are then inferred. We suggest that the Deseado FTB constituted the southernmost expression of the early Patagonian broken foreland in Cretaceous times. Additionally, we analyzed the spatiotemporal magmatic arc behavior as a proxy of dynamic changes in the Andean subduction during determined stages of intraplate contraction. We observe a significant arc broadening from ~121 to 82 Myr and magmatic quiescence after ~67 Ma. This is interpreted as a slab shallowing to flattening process. Far‐field tectonic forces would have been produced by increased plate coupling linked to the slab flattening as indirectly indicated by the correlation between Cretaceous arc expansion and intraplate contraction. Finally, the tectonic evolution of the Deseado FTB favors studies supporting inception of Andean shortening since Cretaceous times.

Understanding how arc attachment behaviour influences the prediction of composite specimen thermal loading during an artificial lightning strike test

High speed image analysis of experimental lightning strike testing on composite specimens has demonstrated complex time-dependent arc attachment behaviour. To date simulation studies of lightning strike direct effects on composite materials have overlooked or idealised the observed arc attachment behaviour. This is significant as these preceding studies have also demonstrated joule (resistive) heating is a major contributor to composite material damage and thus the application of the current load is critically important. The objective of this paper is to quantify how arc attachment behaviour influences the prediction of composite specimen thermal loading during a simulated lightning strike test. This is achieved through a simulation study modelling experimental arc attachment behaviours referenced in the literature. The simulation results are compared with measured test specimen damage. The results quantify for the first time the significance of arc attachment behaviour, demonstrating how realistic representation of arc expansion and arc movement can alter the predicted thermal loading and generate thermal damage patterns comparable to measured experimental damage.

The development of shock wave overpressure driven by channel expansion of high current impulse discharge arc

During the formation of a high current impulse discharge arc, objects near the discharge arc will be strongly impacted. In this paper, a high power, high current gas switch is used as the site of the impulse discharge arc. The explosion wave theory and the arc channel energy balance equation are introduced to analyze the development of the shock wave overpressure driven by the high current impulse discharge arc, and the demarcation point of the arc channel is given, from which the energy of the arc channel is no longer converted into shock waves. Through the analysis and calculation, it is found that the magnitude of the shock wave overpressure caused by impulse discharge arc expansion is closely related to the arc current rising rate. The arc shock wave overpressure will undergo a slow decay process and then decay rapidly. The study of this paper will perform the function of deepening the understanding of the physical nature of the impulse arc discharge, which can be used to explain the damage effect of the high current impulse discharge arc.

Experimental investigation on the initial expansion stage of vacuum arc on cup-shaped TMF contacts

Arc behavior and measures to control it directly affect the properties of vacuum circuit breakers. Nowadays, transverse magnetic field (TMF) contacts are widely used for medium voltages. A magnetic field perpendicular to the current direction between the TMF contacts makes the arc move, transmitting its energy to the whole contact and avoiding excessive local ablation. Previous research on TMF arc behavior concentrated mainly on the arc movement and less on the initial stage (from arc ignition to an unstable arc column). A significant amount of experiment results suggest that there is a short period of arc stagnation after ignition. The duration of this arc stagnation and the arc characteristics during this stage affect the subsequent arc motion and even the breaking property of interrupters. The present study is of the arc characteristics in the initial stage. Experiments were carried out in a demountable vacuum chamber with cup-shaped TMF contacts. Using a high-speed camera, both single-point arc ignition mode and multiple-point arc ignition (MPAI) mode were observed. The experimental data show that the probability of MPAI mode occurring is related to the arc current. The influences of arc-ignition mode, arc current, and contact diameter on the initial expansion process were investigated. In addition, simulations were performed to analyze the multiple arc expansion process mechanically. Based on the experimental phenomena and simulation results, the mechanism of the arc expansion motion was analyzed.

Intensity improvement of shock waves induced by liquid electrical discharges

When shock waves induced by pulsed electrical discharges in dielectric liquids are widely applied in industrial fields, it is necessary to improve the energy transfer efficiency from electrical energy to mechanical energy to improve the shock wave intensity. In order to investigate the effect of the plasma channel length created by the liquid electrical discharge on the shock wave intensity, a test stand of dielectric liquid pulsed electrical discharge is designed and constructed. The main capacitor is 3 μF, and the charging voltage is 0–30 kV. Based on the needle-needle electrode geometry with different gap distances, the intensities of shock waves corresponding to the electrical parameters, the relationship between the plasma channel length and the deposited energy, and the time-resolved observation of the plasma channel development by a high speed camera are presented and compared. The shock wave intensity is closely related to the power and energy dissipated into the plasma channel. The longer plasma channel and the quicker arc expansion can lead to a higher power and energy deposited into the plasma channel, which can activate a stronger shock wave.

Hubbleimaging of V1331 Cygni: proper motion study of its circumstellar structures

The young star V1331 Cyg received previous attention because it is surrounded by an optical, arc-like reflection nebula. V1331 Cyg is commonly considered to be a candidate for an object that has undergone an FU-Ori (FUOR) the outbreak in the past. This in turn could lead to a time-varying appearance of the dusty arcs that may be revealed by multi-epoch imaging. In particular, a radial colour analysis of the dust arcs can then be attempted to check whether radial grain size distribution was modified by a previous FUOR wind. Second-epoch imaging of V1331 Cyg was obtained by us in 2009 using the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). By comparing this to archival HST data from 2000, we studied the time evolution of the circumstellar nebulae. After a point spread function subtraction using model point spread functions, we used customised routines to perform a proper motion analysis. The nebula expansion was first derived by deconvolving and correlating the two-epoch radial brightness profiles. Additional data from other facilities TLS, UKIDSS, SPITZER, and HERSCHEL were also incorporated to improve our understanding of the star in terms of environment, viewing angle, bipolar outflow length, and the FUOR phenomenon. The derived radial colour profiles do not indicate a spatial separation of the dust grain sizes. The HERSCHEL 160 micron images show for the time thermal emission from dust probably residing in the outer arc. By viewing V1331 Cyg almost pole-on, the length of the bipolar outflow exceeds previous estimates by far. The outer arc expansion timescale is consistent with the implantation time of the CO torus, which supports the hypothesis of an outburst that occurred a few thousand years ago. The azimuthal colour variation of the outer arc is probably due to changes of the scattering angle, imposed by a tilt or helical geometry of the dust configuration.

Electrical and hydrodynamic characterization of a high current pulsed arc

High current pulsed arcs are of significant industrial interest and, aiming to reduce time and cost, there is progressively more and more need for computation tools that describe and predict the behaviour of these arcs. These simulation codes need inputs and validations by experimental databases, but accurate data is missing for this category of electric discharges. The principal lack of understanding is with respect to the transient phase of the current, which can reach thousands of amperes in a few microseconds. In this paper, we present the work realized on an experimental setup that simulates in the laboratory an arc column subjected to five levels of high pulsed current, ranging from 10 kA to 100 kA, with the last one corresponding to the standard lightning current waveform used in aircraft certification processes. This device was instrumented by high speed video cameras to assess the characteristic sizes of the arc channel and to characterize the shock wave generated by the arc expansion. The arc channel radius was measured over time during the axisymmetric phase and reached 3.2 cm. The position and velocity of the shock wave was determined during the first 140 μs. The background-oriented schlieren method was used to study the shock wave and a model for the light deflection inside the shock wave was developed. The mass density profile of the shock wave was estimated and showed good agreement with Rankine–Hugoniot relations at the wave front. Electrical measurements were also used to estimate the time-dependent resistance and conductivity of the arc for times lasting up to 50 μs.