Experimental comparison of methods of generating hot plasmas

Abstract

In order to begin a study of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) effects in high temperature gases, it was decided to develop a plasma torch as a generator of the required high temperature gases e A device was needed that could operate reliably for at least several minutes and generate adequate volumes of hot gases (about 3000 K)« Current commercial devices were beyond the financial capabilities of this study, so an attempt was made to develop such a device at RPI„ A working model of the DC plasma torch was put in operation in the spring of I96O0