HIGH POWER ARC HEATER

• Main Authors: MEYER, THOMAS N, HEIDRICH, JOHN E, WOLF, CHARLES B, FEY, MAURICE G
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 20.12.1988
• Edition: 4
• Subjects: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY

27 A high power non-transferred electric arc heater utilizing interelectrode segments which create a stepped arc chamber intermediate two hollow, substantially cylindrical, axially spaced electrodes. Gas to be heated is admitted upstream of the arc chamber and between adjacent segments. Gas is used to form a cold boundary layer about the expanding core of arc-heater gas. Additional secondary gas inlets adjacent the electrode provide fluid dynamic means for arc positioning on the electrode segments. Gas pressures of less than or in the range of about 1 atmosphere to about 50 atmospheres are used with power levels of about 10 MW being possible. The stepped arc chamber facilitates arc transfer to the downstream electrodes and allows a larger diameter for the arc heated gas while the boundary layer of gas maintaining comparable spacing along the length of the arc-heated gas and the surface of the arc chamber reducing the rate of heat transfer from the arc heated gas to the segments of the arc heater. In an alternate embodiment, field coils are provided around the interelectrode segments and electrodes for the magnetic rotation of the arc within the arc chamber. In a further embodiment, a resistor is interconnected between each interelectrode segment and the electrode segment that is connected as the cathode. These resistors assist in arc initiation and reduce the possibility of strikeover to the interelectrode segments during 28 operation. Multiple electrode segments connected as anode or cathodes can also be provided.