Numerical analysis of a hollow electrode plasma torch with a reversed polarity discharge for radioactive waste treatment

Abstract

In this study, a numerical analysis is carried out in order to investigate the effects of the electrode configuration and the operation conditions on the arc flow structure and the performance of a hollow electrode plasma torch with a reversed polarity discharge. From the numerical results, a swirl injection of plasma gas and a hollowed cathode with a convergent entrance are found to help control the recirculation directions of backflows and the attachment position of the anode spot in the rear electrode. For example, the anode spot is observed to be moved to the central point of the blocked side in the rear electrode (the anode) when the plasma-forming gases are injected with a swirl. This attachment point is predicted to act as a stable anode spot for the transferred operation of the hollow electrode plasma torch with a reversed polarity discharge. In addition, the torch performance is analyzed for operation variables, such as the arc current and the gas flow rates. Similar to that of a conventional hollow electrode plasma torch, the scale-up of input power is accompanied by increases in the arc current and the gas flow rate while increasing the arc current brings about a deterioration in the torch efficiency, which is defined as the ratio of the exit enthalpy to the input power. On the other hand, the temperature profiles at the torch’s exit plane show relatively negligible differences for various arc currents and gas flow rates due to the cathode spot being close to the torch exit. Based on these features, we expect the hollow electrode plasma torch with a reversed polarity discharge to be a promising tool for treating radioactive wastes in a single step, both as a non-transferred-type plasma incinerator for combustibles and as a transferred-type arc-melter for non-combustibles.