ELECTRIC ARC GENERATING DEVICE

• Main Authors: DOOLETTE, ASHLEY, GRANT, RAMAKRISHNAN, SUBRAMANIA, OPPENLANDER, WALTER, TILMAN
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 22.03.1990
• Edition: 4
• Subjects: APPLYING LIQUIDS OR OTHER FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL; ATOMISING APPARATUS; BLASTING; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; CHEMISTRY; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATIONOR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY IONIMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; DETAILS OR ACCESSORIES OF FURNACES, KILNS, OVENS, OR RETORTS,IN SO FAR AS THEY ARE OF KINDS OCCURRING IN MORE THAN ONE KINDOF FURNACE; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; FURNACES; HEATING; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION INGENERAL; KILNS; LIGHTING; MACHINE TOOLS; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; METALLURGY; NOZZLES; OVENS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PLASMA TECHNIQUE; PRODUCTION OF ACCELERATED ELECTRICALLY-CHARGED PARTICLES OR OFNEUTRONS; PRODUCTION OR ACCELERATION OF NEUTRAL MOLECULAR OR ATOMICBEAMS; RETORTS; SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; SPRAYING APPARATUS; SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THESURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; TRANSPORTING; WEAPONS; WELDING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM

An electric arc generating device including, a first electrode (1) and at least two further electrodes (2, 3, 4). A source of electrical power (11) is connectable to said electrodes so as to cause an arc to burn between the first electrode and one of the further electrodes. The distribution of power within the zone of the arc is controlled by repetitively changing the path of the arc. That is, one root of the arc may remain attached to the first electrode, whereas attachment of the other root is transferred between twor or more of the further electrodes on a repetitive basis. The timing and extent of each change may vary according to circumstances of use. The changes in arc path are due at least in part to repetitive modification of the influence of the power source on one or more of the further electrodes, but variation of the flow rate of gas/material (7, 9, 10) through the arc zone (6) can be another controlling factor. Le dispositif générateur d'arc électrique comprend une première électrode (1) et au moins deux autres électrodes (2, 3, 4). Une source de courant électrique (11) peut être connectée auxdites électrodes de façon à produire l'amorçage d'un arc entre la première électrode et l'une des autres électrodes. La répartition de puissance dans la zone de l'arc est régulée par changement itératif de la trajectoire de l'arc. Autrement dit, l'une des racines de l'arc peut rester attachée à la première électrode, alors que l'attache de l'autre racine est transférée entre au moins deux des autres électrodes sur une base itérative. La synchronisation et l'extension de chaque changement peut varier en fonction des circonstances d'utilisation. Les changements de trajectoire de l'arc sont dues au moins en partie à la modification itérative de l'influence de la source de courant sur l'une ou plusieurs des autres électrodes, mais la variation du débit de gaz/matière (7, 9, 10) traversant la zone (6) de l'arc peut constituer un autre facteur de régulation.