The experiment study of a hollow cathode plasma torch's performance

Configuration and working principle of a hollow cathode plasma torch have been introduced in this paper. The relationship between working gas flow and electric-thermal characteristics such as current-voltage characteristics, thermal efficiency, torch efficiency and cooling water temperature have been investigated. The impact of plasma jet morphology with working gas flow has also been researched. The experimental results showed that arc voltage was increased with working gas flow and decreased with arc current. The thermal and torch efficiency were also increased with working gas flow and decreased with arc current. Its power is proportional to the working gas flow, and is increasing with the arc current increasing. The cooling water temperature of electrode was rising with working gas flow and arc current increasing. The working gas flow has a certain influence for plasma -et morphology. Those experimental results have a certain reference value for the design of high power plasma torch in the future. (authors)