Numerical simulation of inductively coupled plasma flows under chemical non‐equilibrium
International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow
ISSN: 0961-5539
Article publication date: 1 June 2004
Abstract
This paper presents a detailed review of the numerical modeling of inductively coupled air plasmas under local thermodynamic equilibrium and under chemical non‐equilibrium. First, the physico‐chemical models are described, i.e. the thermodynamics, transport phenomena and chemical kinetics models. Particular attention is given to the correct modelling of ambipolar diffusion in multi‐component chemical non‐equilibrium plasmas. Then, the numerical aspects are discussed, i.e. the space discretization and iterative solution strategies. Finally, computed results are presented for the flow, temperature and chemical concentration fields in an air inductively coupled plasma torch. Calculations are performed assuming local thermodynamic equilibrium and under chemical non‐equilibrium, where two different finite‐rate chemistry models are used. Besides important non‐equilibrium effects, we observe significant demixing of oxygen and nitrogen nuclei, which occurs due to diffusion regardless of the degree of non‐equilibrium in the plasma.
Keywords
Citation
Degrez, G., Vanden Abeele, D., Barbante, P. and Bottin, B. (2004), "Numerical simulation of inductively coupled plasma flows under chemical non‐equilibrium", International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, Vol. 14 No. 4, pp. 538-558. https://doi.org/10.1108/09615530410532286
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2004, Emerald Group Publishing Limited