New perspectives on the dynamics of AC and DC plasma arcs exposed to cross-fields

Interactions between an arc and external fields are crucially important for the design and the optimization of modern plasma torches. Multiple studies have been conducted to help better understand the behavior of DC and AC current arcs exposed to external and ' self-induced ' magnetic fields, but the theoretical foundations remain very poorly explored. An analytical investigation has therefore been carried out in order to study the general behavior of DC and AC arcs under the effect of random cross-fields. A simple differential equation describing the general behavior of a planar DC or AC arc has been obtained. Several dimensionless numbers that depend primarily on arc and field parameters and the main arc characteristics (temperature, electric field strength) have also been determined. Their magnitude indicates the general tendency pattern of the arc evolution. The analytical results for many case studies have been validated using an MHD numerical model. The main purpose of this investigation was deriving a practical analytical model for the electric arc, rendering possible its stabilization and control, and the enhancement of the plasma torch power. (paper)