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Dominant Heat Transfer Mechanisms in the GTAW Plasma Arc Column

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Abstract

A 2D steady-state mathematical model of a GTAW electric arc was used to analyze the relative importance of the main heat transfer mechanisms that heat or cool the plasma in the arc column. The analysis consisted of building a map of the dominant mechanisms for heating and cooling the arc in each zone as well as their relative importance in terms of volumetric power. It was found that the primary inputs of energy are due to convection near the anode and Joule heating near the cathode, while the main cooling mechanisms have a complex structure that can be described in the map from cathode to anode, composed of Thomson effect, convection, radiation and conduction. A systematic analysis was conducted to evaluate the effect of the arc current, arc length, and plasma gas on the map of dominant mechanisms. The gases considered were Ar and He. The main effect of current is on the intensities and extent of the zones of dominance of the mechanisms. The arc length does not significantly affect the map, and the type of gas influences most of the dominant heat transfer mechanisms. The heat transfer near the anode is governed by the momentum and thermal boundary layers due to the plasma jet, while the cathode heat transfer is dominated by the heat transfer mechanisms associated with current flow. The information provided may be used to perform simple energy balances in specific zones of the arc to gain basic understanding of the physics in the arc.

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Acknowledgements

Funding for this project was provided by Conacy, Project PAPIIT IN 115617. Insightful conversations with David Apaoblaza and Stefano Sacco from the U. of Chile are gratefully acknowledged. José Alfredo Delgado Álvarez is a Ph. D. student in the ‘Programa de Doctorado en Ingeniería Química’, at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). He thanks CONACYT for receiving a doctoral fellowship (Grant Number CVU 446967).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Facultad de Química, Edificio D, Circuito de los Institutos s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, C.P. 04510, Mexico City, Mexico

    Alberto Velázquez-Sánchez, Alfredo Delgado-Álvarez & Marco A. Ramírez-Argáez

  2. University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada

    Patricio F. Méndez

  3. CSIRO Manufacturing, PO Box 218, Lindfield, NSW, 2070, Australia

    Anthony B. Murphy

Authors
  1. Alberto Velázquez-Sánchez
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  2. Alfredo Delgado-Álvarez
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  3. Patricio F. Méndez
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  4. Anthony B. Murphy
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  5. Marco A. Ramírez-Argáez
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Correspondence to Marco A. Ramírez-Argáez.

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Velázquez-Sánchez, A., Delgado-Álvarez, A., Méndez, P.F. et al. Dominant Heat Transfer Mechanisms in the GTAW Plasma Arc Column. Plasma Chem Plasma Process 41, 1497–1515 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11090-021-10192-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11090-021-10192-5

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