Thermal Plasma Physics for Arc Welding, Circuit Breakers, and Gas Insulation
This community investigates the physics of high-temperature ionized gases, focusing on how electric arcs behave in welding processes and how alternative gases can replace sulfur hexafluoride in high-voltage electrical equipment.
The work centers on numerical simulation and experimental analysis of arc plasma characteristics, including heat transfer, fluid flow, and magnetic field effects. Key applications include optimizing gas metal arc welding (GMAW) and tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding for aluminum alloys and stainless steels, and developing eco-friendly gas mixtures like C4F7N/CO2 to insulate circuit breakers and switchgears. Researchers examine the decomposition of these alternative gases, the formation of solid carbon, and the detection of partial discharges to ensure equipment reliability. The recurring focus is on controlling the arc morphology and stability to improve manufacturing quality and electrical safety.
The largest share of the community's output is found in argon research, accounting for 1.7% of all argon-related papers, followed by fluorine at 0.5% and tungsten at 0.7%. Argon also contributes the highest absolute number of papers within this group, with 1,466 entries.
The community comprises 7,035 papers, publishing primarily in Plasma Chemistry and Plasma Processing, Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, and Journal of Applied Physics.
Recent work continues to focus on the behavior of C4F7N-based gas mixtures in arc plasmas, the simulation of residual stress in hybrid welding of aluminum alloys, and the development of high-power radio-frequency inductively coupled plasma torches for material processing.