Vortex flow in a torus - a method for arc stabilization

Experiments on ring vortices inside a torus and experiments on semi-toroidal arcs stabilized by such vortices are described. The studies were performed in two separate devices. One of the toroidal vortex chambers - 'Cogion', with R = 0.45 m and r = 0.10 m - permits the establishment of a gas flow only. In the other device - 'Tovorex', with R = 0.19 m and r = 0.04 m - it is also possible to draw a semi-toroidal arc. The measurements surprisingly show that it is possible to describe the radial distribution of the poloidal flow in terms of a plane turbulent wall jet discharging in an external stream. The velocity profile and the growth of the width of the jet are in accordance with experimental data on this subject. A different behaviour is found for the decay of the maximum velocity. The core of the flow proves to be almost stagnant; the axis of rotation is displaced outwardly with respect to the centre of the cross-section over a distance of 6 mm. In 'Tovorex' information about the rotating flow is obtained without the presence of an arc in the vortex core. The velocity profiles prove to be independent of the pressure (50-400 Torr). For experiments with arcs nitrogen is used. It has been found that the semi-toroidal DC-arc, surrounded by a continuous metal wall can be stabilized by the toroidal vortices in the experimental range30<=p<=400 Torr, 20<=I<=100 A, 20<=Usub(j)<=200 ms-1, 0.6<=a<=5.3 mm, where Usub(j) denotes the injection velocity and a the width of the inlet slit. The toroidal field strength, which is of the order of 500 Vm-1, depends on the current and on the pressure and is independent of Usub(j) and a. Temperatures of the discharge are estimated at approximately 6000 K. The velocity profiles in both vortex chambers are obtained with a hot-wire anemometer operated at constant resistance