Magnetically Assisted Transferred Plasma Torch Applied to Vitrification of Ceramic Clay

• Published in: IEEE transactions on plasma science Vol. 35; no. 6; pp. 1758 - 1765
• Main Authors: Torres-Reyes, C.E., Pacheco-Pacheco, M., Pacheco-Sotelo, J.O., Lopez-Callejas, R., Benitez-Read, J.S., Estrada-Martinez, N., Cota-Sanchez, G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.12.2007; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Anodes; Arc heating; Arcs, sparks, lightning; Buck converters; Ceramics; Clay (material); Electric discharges; Electrodes; Exact sciences and technology; Fault location; Fluxes; Magnetic fields; Magnetic interaction; Optical (ultraviolet, visible, infrared) measurements; optical emission spectroscopy (OES); Physics; Physics of gases, plasmas and electric discharges; Physics of plasmas and electric discharges; Plasma; Plasma chemistry; Plasma devices; Plasma diagnostic techniques and instrumentation; Plasma production and heating; Plasma sources; Plasma stability; Plasma torches; power buck converter; Resistance heating; Thermal efficiency; transferred plasma torch (TPT); Vitrification; vitrified clay; Plasma torches; Emission spectroscopy; transferred plasma torch (TPT); optical emission spectroscopy (OES); Plasma sources; Heat flux; Magnetic interaction; Plasma diagnostics; Optical method; Plasma generation; power buck converter; Electric arcs; vitrified clay
• ISSN: 0093-3813; 1939-9375
• DOI: 10.1109/TPS.2007.907908

A new magnetically assisted transferred plasma torch (MA-TPT) was specially developed for the treatment of ceramic clay and harmful substances. The electrical plasma source consists mainly of a power buck converter and an alternating magnetic field, which allow sustaining a highly efficient plasma discharge at different arc lengths. The interaction of the electric arc with the magnetic field produces a broadening arc effect on the anode, enhancing the heat fluxes to the ceramic clay. Electrical and thermal characterization of the plasma torch showed that high thermal efficiency is easily reached with the current plasma configuration. In turn, the characterization tests of the vitrified clay revealed that the final vitrified product presents good chemical stability.