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Plasma Torches for Cutting, Welding and PTA Coating

Handbook of Thermal Plasmas

Abstract

Plasma cutting, plasma welding, and plasma transferred arc coating represents one of the most established groups of thermal plasma technologies which are used worldwide on an industrial scale. Their main advantages are in the precision and speed of the cut over relatively thick plates and the cleanliness and quality of the welds and coatings. Plasma torches used for cutting and welding are generally of relatively low power, 10 to 40 kW. Their design is based on the use of a hot cathode, operating in a transferred arc mode, with the part to be cut or welded acting as the anode to make use of the high heat fluxes associated with anode root arc attachments. Cutting and welding torches differ, however, in their performance objectives and accordingly in the nature of the plasma gas used. Cutting torches tend to use essentially oxidizing gases at high flow rates in order to enhance the cutting efficiency and get rid of metal dross, while welding torches use inert or reducing atmosphere in order to avoid contamination of the weld spot with debris of metal oxide. Plasma torches used for PTA coating also operate in the transferred arc mode to create a pool of molten metal at the coating location in which the coating materials in the form of a fine powder are uniformly dispersed. Once the molten metal cools and freezes, it creates a metal matrix composite coating, which is often used in hard facing or rebuilding of worn-off parts.

E. Pfender deceased.

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Abbreviations

AC-GMAW:

Alternating current–gas metal arc welding

CA-TIG:

Cap active flux tungsten inert gas

CMT:

Cold metal transfer

DE-GMAW:

Double-electrode gas metal arc welding

ESW:

Electroslag welding

FCAW:

Flux-cored arc welding

GMAW:

Gas metal arc welding

GTAW:

Gas tungsten arc welding

ISPC:

International Symposium on Plasma Chemistry

ITSC:

International Thermal Spray Conference

LCHW:

Laser-CMT hybrid welding

LHS:

Left-hand side

LSHW:

Laser-standard short-circuiting arc welding

MAG:

Metal active gas

MIG:

Metal inert gas welding

NTSC:

National Thermal Spray Conference

PAW:

Plasma arc welding

PCTIG:

Pulsed current tungsten inert gas welding

PTA:

Plasma transferred arc

PWHT:

Post-weld heat treatment

RHS:

Right-hand side

SAW:

Submerged arc welding

TIG:

Tungsten inert gas for welding

UTSC:

United Thermal Spray Conference

Abbreviations

Aconv :

Area over which the convective heat transfer takes place (m2)

cp :

Specific heat at constant pressure (J/kg.K)

dz :

Torch-to-substrate (anode) distance (m)

D:

Arc attachment spot diameter (m)

E:

Electric field (V/m)

EI :

Ionization potential of the plasma gas (eV)

Gθ :

Axial flux of angular momentum (kg m/s)

GZ :

Axial flux of axial momentum (kg m/s)

I:

Arc current (A)

je :

Electron’s current density (A/m2)

ji :

Ion’s current density (A/m2)

k:

Constriction parameter (cm−2)

kB :

Boltzmann constant (kB = 1.38 10−23 J/K)

ke :

Thermal conductivity of electrons (W/m.K)

kh :

Thermal conductivity of heavy species (W/m.K)

\( {\dot{m}}_{\mathrm{p}} \) :

Plasma gas flow rate (kg/s)

qa :

Heat flux received by the anode (W/m2)

qe :

Electron enthalpy flux (W/m2)

qm :

Maximum heat flux (W/m2)

q(r):

Substrate heat flux (W/m2)

Qan :

Heat transfer to the anode (W)

QHCL :

Heat conduction losses inside the workpiece (W)

Qlost-dow :

Losses beneath the plate in the extinguishing arc (W)

Qlost-up :

Losses above the plate mainly due to radiation and convection (W)

Qmelt :

Power involved in melting steel (W)

Qoxy :

Power released from iron oxidation (W)

QR :

Heat transfer by radiation (W/m2)

r:

Radial coordinate (m)

re :

Arc radius (m)

rn :

Characteristic radius (mm)

Sw :

Swirl number \( \left({\mathrm{S}}_{\mathrm{w}}=\frac{{\mathrm{G}}_{\uptheta}}{{\mathrm{r}}_{\mathrm{n}}{\mathrm{G}}_{\mathrm{z}}}\right) \)

Te :

Electron’s temperature (K)

Th :

Heavy species temperature (K)

v:

Specific velocity (m/s)

V:

Arc voltage (V)

Van :

Anode fall voltage (V)

α:

Fraction of the electrical power transferred to the anode by convection and radiation

δ:

Melted layer thickness (m)

Φ a :

Work function of the anode material (eV)

κ:

Thermal conductivity (W/m K)

ρ:

Mass density (kg/m3)

\( \overline{\upsigma_{\mathrm{Ar}}} \) :

Electrical conductivity of argon averaged over the arc cross section (A/V.m)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Sherbrooke and Tekna Plasma Systems Inc., Sherbrooke, QC, Canada

    Maher I. Boulos

  2. European Center of Ceramics, University of Limoges, 12 rue Atlantis, Limoges, 87068, France

    Pierre Fauchais

  3. Minneapolis, MN, USA

    Emil Pfender

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  1. Maher I. Boulos
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Boulos, M.I., Fauchais, P., Pfender, E. (2017). Plasma Torches for Cutting, Welding and PTA Coating. In: Handbook of Thermal Plasmas. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-12183-3_47-1

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    Plasma Torches for Cutting, Welding and PTA Coating
    Published:
    18 October 2022

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-12183-3_47-2

  2. Original

    Plasma Torches for Cutting, Welding and PTA Coating
    Published:
    01 June 2017

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-12183-3_47-1

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