Gravity effects on a gliding arc in four noble gases: from normal to hypergravity

A gliding arc in four noble gases (He, Ne, Ar, Kr) has been studied under previously unexplored conditions of varying artifiial gravity, from normal 1 g gravity up to 18 g hypergravity. Signifiant differences, mainly the visual thickness of the plasma channel, its maximum elongation and general sensitivity to hypergravity conditions, were observed between the discharges in individual gases, resulting from their different atomic weights and related quantities, such as heat conductivity or ionisation potential. Generally, an increase of the artifiial gravity level leads to a faster plasma channel movement thanks to stronger buoyant force and a decrease of maximum height reached by the channel due to more intense losses of heat and reactive species. In relation to this, an increase in current and a decrease in absorbed power was observed

Experimental study of gliding arc plasma channel motion: buoyancy and gas flow phenomena under normal and hypergravity conditions

The details of plasma channel motion are investigated by frame-by-frame image analysis of high speed recording of a gliding arc. The gliding arc is operated in several noble gases at various flow rates, voltages and artificial gravity levels. Several peculiarities in evolution of individual glides are observed, described and discussed, such as accelerating motion of plasma channel or shortcutting events of various kinds. Statistics of averaged parameters are significantly different for buoyancy and gas drag dominated regimes, which is put into relation with differing flow patterns for hypergravity and high gas flow