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Concept
Plasma torch
Summary
A plasma torch (also known as a plasma arc, plasma gun, plasma cutter, or plasmatron) is a device for generating a directed flow of plasma.
The plasma jet can be used for applications including plasma cutting, plasma arc welding, plasma spraying, and plasma gasification for waste disposal.
Thermal plasmas are generated in plasma torches by direct current (DC), alternating current (AC), radio-frequency (RF) and other discharges. DC torches are the most commonly used and researched, because when compared to AC: "there is less flicker generation and noise, a more stable operation, better control, a minimum of two electrodes, lower electrode consumption, slightly lower refractory [heat] wear and lower power consumption".
There are two types of DC torches: non-transferred and transferred. In non-transferred DC torches, the electrodes are inside the body/housing of the torch itself (creating the arc there). Whereas in a transferred torch one electrode is outside (and is usually the conductive material to be treated), allowing the arc to form outside of the torch over a larger distance.
A benefit of transferred DC torches is that the plasma arc is formed outside the water-cooled body, preventing heat loss—as is the case with non-transferred torches, where their electrical-to-thermal efficiency can be as low as 50%, but the hot water can itself be utilized. Furthermore, transferred DC torches can be used in a twin-torch setup, where one torch is cathodic and the other anodic, which has the earlier benefit of a regular transferred single-torch system, but allows their use with non-conductive materials, as there is no need for it to form the other electrode. However, these types of setups are rare as most common non-conductive materials do not require the precise cutting ability of a plasma torch. In addition, the discharge generated by this particular plasma source configuration is characterized by a complex shape and fluid dynamics that requires a 3D description in order to be predicted, making performance unsteady.
Official source
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