Numerical modeling and simulations of plasma is an indispensable means to overcome the technical limit in measuring plasma parameters, which has been performed by many researchers. Unlike conventional numerical modeling, lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) is a meso-scale scheme based on Boltzmann kinetic theory, which has some advantages such as relatively simple computational structure, easy handling on complex boundaries and possible parallel computation. Recently, the LBM has been widely used to simulate not only single phase flow but also multi-component and/or multi-phase thermal fluid transfer, electric and magnetic fields, acoustic fields and radiative transport. However, the previous models for plasma were limited to 2D schemes, so they were not enough to analyze 3D mechanism of arc dynamics.
Therefore, Kim Ju Song, a lecturer at the Faculty of Physical Engineering, has suggested a 3D lattice Boltzmann model to numerically simulate thermal fluid flow in non-transferred arc torch with swirl and validated its accuracy by comparing it with results in literature.
The Boltzmann model was built for local thermodynamic equilibrium. The boundary conditions were considered for both macro- and micro-parameters, and the curved boundaries were handled for the cathode and the anode.
The simulation results demonstrate that the maximal temperatures appear at positions downstream from cathode and the axial velocity profiles are remarkably different according to the swirl number and that the position in the maximal axial velocity shifts toward the cathode with increase in the swirl number.
For more information about it, please refer to his paper “Numerical Analysis for Argon Arc Plasma Jet Flow by Three-Dimensional Thermal Lattice Boltzmann Model” in “Bulletin of the Lebedev Physics Institute” (SCI).
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