Influence of Plasma Temperature on the Concentration of NO Produced by Pulsed Arc Discharge

This study conducted experiments on producing inhaled medical nitric oxide （iNO） by pulsed arc discharge in dry and clean air under different discharge current. The concentration of NO and NO2 produced by air discharge, as well as the change of the ratio of NO2/NO under different discharge current were investigated. Through the analysis of plasma emission spectrum, the relationship between discharge current and arc plasma temperature was studied. The results indicate that, as discharge current increases, the arc plasma temperature increases, which then leads to the increase of NO concentration, the decrease of NO2 concentration, and the rapid decrease of the ratio of NO2/NO. When the plasma temperature is 9000 K, the ratio of NO2/NO is approximately 60%, while when the plasma temperature varies between 10550 K and 11300 K, the NO2/NO ratio is within the range of 4.2% to 4.6%.

Temperature and Nitric Oxide Generation in a Pulsed Arc Discharge Plasma

Nitric oxide （NO） is increasingly being used in medical treatments of high blood pressure, acute respiratory distress syndrome and other illnesses related to the lungs. Currently a NO inhalation system consists of a gas cylinder of N2 mixed with a high concentration of NO. This arrangement is potentially risky due to the possibility of an accidental leak of NO from the cylinder. The presence of NO in the air leads to the formation of nitric dioxide （NO2）, which is toxic to the lungs. Therefore, an on-site generator of NO would be highly desirable for medical doctors to use with patients with lung disease. To develop the NO inhalation system without a gas cylinder, which would include a high concentration of NO, NAMIHIRA et al have recently reported on the production of NO from room air using a pulsed arc discharge. In the present work, the temperature of the pulsed arc discharge plasma used to generate NO was measured to optimize the discharge condition. The results of the temperature measurements showed the temperature of the pulsed arc discharge plasma reached about 10,000 K immediately after discharge initiation and gradually decreased over tens of microseconds. In addition, it was found that NO was formed in a discharge plasma having temperatures higher than 9,000 K and a smaller input energy into the discharge plasma generates NO more efficiently than a larger one.

The Effect of Flow Distribution on the Concentration of NO Produced by Pulsed Arc Discharge

As a new method to cure acute respiratory distress syndrome （ARDS）, high blood pressure and some illnesses related to the lung, NO has recently received more attention. Thermal plasmas produced by arc discharge can create medical NO, but the concentration of NO2 produced by arc discharge must be controlled simultaneously. This paper investigates the characteristics and regulations of NO production at different flow distribution by pulsed arc discharge in dry air with a special pulsed power, The experimental results show that the flow distribution has a considerable effect on the NO concentration, the stabilization of NO. The production of NO2 could be controlled and the ratio of NO2/NO was decreased to about 10% in the arc discharge. Therefore, the arc discharge could produce stable inhaled NO for medical treatment by changing the flow distribution.

Synthesis of Crystalline Carbon Nitride Thin Films by Pulsed Arc Discharge at Atmospheric Pressure

The preparation of crystalline C3N4 films was investigated using pulsed arc discharge from mixed methanol and ammonia water at atmospheric pressure. The X-ray diffraction （XRD） patterns of the films prepared at a substrate temperature of 450℃ suggested that the film was composed of α-C3N4 and fl-C3N4 crystallites. Raman spectra exhibited distinct peaks which are in good agreement with those predicted theoretically for C3N4 crystallites.

Improvement on Diamond Nucleation Treated by Pulsed Arc Discharge Plasma

A technique of improvement on diamond nucleation based on pulsed arc discharge plasma at atmospheric pressure was developed. The pulsed arc discharge was induced respectively by nitrogen, argon and methanol gas. After the arc plasma pretreatment, a nucleation density higher than 1010 cm-2 may be obtained subsequently in chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on a mirror-polished silicon substrate without any other mechanical treatment. The effects of the arc discharge plasma on the diamond nucleation were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), infrared spectroscopy (IR) and Raman spec-troscopy. The enhancement of nucleation is postulated to be a result of the formation of carbon-like phase materials or nitrogenation on the substrate surface without surface defect produced by arc discharge.

A twin-electrode alternating current to direct current synergetic pulsed arc welding control method

A novel synergetic arc control method was used to control twin-electrode alternating current （ AC） to direct current （DC） pulsed arc welding and the mechanism of poor sidewall fusion in narrow gap welding was investigated. The synergetic arc control method easured that the arc voltage of DC welding source could switch in phase with the AC welding source. To test the reliability and operability of this method, a twin-electrode AC to DC pulsed arc welding system was set up and data was acquired through high-speed photography and electrical signal measurement system. The results show that the interactions between the two arcs can be controlled effectively and the control method is a sensitive and efficient control method.

Uniformly dispersed FeOx atomic clusters by pulsed arc plasma deposition： An efficient electrocatalyst for improving the performance of Li-O2 battery

The present study explored a new method to improve the catalytic activity of non-precious metals, especially in electrochemical reactions. Highly ionized Fe plasma produced by arc discharge was uniformly deposited on a porous carbon substrate and formed atomic clusters on the carbon surface. The as-prepared FeO~/C material was tested as a cathode material in a rechargeable Li-02 battery under different current rates. The results showed significant improvement in battery performance in terms of both cycle life and reaction rate. Furthermore, X-ray diffraction （XRD） and scanning electron microscopy （SEM） results showed that the as-prepared cathode material stabilized the cathode and reduced side reactions and that the current rate was a critical factor in the nucleation of the discharge products.

Direct Numerical Simulation of the Pulsed Arc Discharge in Supersonic Compression Ramp Flow

Direct numerical simulation(DNS)of shock wave/turbulent boundary layer interaction(SWTBLI)with pulsed arc discharge is carried out in this paper.The subject in the study is a Ma=2.9 compression flow over a 24-degree ramp.The numerical approaches were validated by the experimental results in the same flow conditions.The heat source model was added to the Navier-Stokes equation to serve as the energy deposition of the pulsed arc discharge.Four streamwise locations are selected to apply energy deposition.The effect of the pulsed arc discharge on the ramp-induced flow separation has been studied in depth.The DNS results demonstrate the incentive locations play a dominant role in suppressing the separated flow.Results show that pulsed heating is characterized by a thermal blockage,which leads to streamwise deflection.The incentive locations upstream the interaction zone of the base flow have a better control effect.The separation bubble shape shows as"spikes",and the downstream flow of the heated region is accelerated due to the momentum exchange between the upper boundary layer and the bottom boundary layer.The high-speed upper fluid is transferred to the bottom,and thus enhances its ability to resist the flow separation.More stripe vortex structures are also generated at the edge of the flat-plate.Furthermore,the turbulent kinetic disturbance energy is increased in the flow filed.The disturbances that originate from the pulsed heating are capable of increasing the turbulent intensity and then diminishing the trend of flow separation.

Optimization of pulsed current gas tungsten arc welding process parameters to attain maximum tensile strength in AZ31B magnesium alloy

An empirical relationship to predict tensile strength of pulsed current gas tungsten arc welded AZ31B magnesium alloy was developed. Incorporating process parameters such as peak current, base current, pulse frequency and pulse on time were studied. The experiments were conducted based on a four-factor, five-level, central composite design matrix. The developed empirical relationship can be effectively used to predict the tensile strength of pulsed current gas tungsten arc welded AZ31B magnesium alloy joints at 95% confidence level. The results indicate that pulse frequency has the greatest influence on tensile strength, followed by peak current, pulse on time and base current.

Tribological properties of diamond-like carbon films deposited bv pulsed laser arc deposition

A novel method, pulsed laser arc deposition combining the advantages of pulsed laser deposition and cathode vacuum arc techniques, was used to deposit the diamond-like carbon （DLC） nanofilms with different thicknesses. Spectroscopic ellipsometer, Auger electron spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and multi-functional friction and wear tester were employed to investigate the physical and tribological properties of the deposited films. The results show that the deposited films are amorphous and the sp2, sp3 and C-O bonds at the top surface of the films are identified. The Raman peak intensity and surface roughness increase with increasing film thickness. Friction coefficients are about 0.1, 0.15, 0.18, when the film thicknesses are in the range of 17-21 nm, 30-57 nm, 67-123 nm, respectively. This is attributed to the united effects of substrate and surface roughness. The wear mechanism of DLC films is mainly abrasive wear when film thickness is in the range of 17-41 nm, while it transforms to abrasive and adhesive wear, when the film thickness lies between 72 and 123 nm.

Characteristics of Resistance Triggering of a Pulsed Vacuum Arc Ion Source

Triggering scheme is a significant factor that may influence the process of vacuum arc initiation. In this work, the characteristics of resistance triggering of a pulsed vacuum arc ion source are investigated and compared with the independent pulse generator triggering. The results show that although the resistance triggering method is capable of triggering a vacuum arc ion source by properly choosing the resistance and electric parameters, it inevitably increases the rise time of the arc current. A high speed multiframe camera is used to reveal the transition process o~ arc initiation during one shot. From the images it is conjectured that the lower voltage between the cathode and the anode may be the reason that leads to the lower transition speed of discharge at the moment of arc initiation.

Digital control of pulsed gas metal arc welding inverter using TMS320LF2407A

A digital control of pulsed gas metal arc welding inverter was proposed. A control system consisting of analogue parts was replaced with a new digital control implemented in a TMS320LF2407A DSP chip. The design and constructional features of the whole digital control were presented. The resources of the DSP chip were efficiently utilized and the circuits are very concise, which can enhance the stability and reliability of welding inverter. Experimental results demonstrate that the developed digital control has the ability to accomplish the excellent pulsed gas metal arc welding process and the merits of the developed digital control are stable welding process, little spatter and perfect weld appearance.

Preparation and tribological properties of DLC/Ti film by pulsed laser arc deposition

This paper reports that DLC （diamond like carbon）/Ti and DLC films were prepared by using pulsed laser arc deposition. R-ray diffraction, Auger electron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, nanoindenter, spectroscopic ellipsometer, surface profiler and micro-tribometer were employed to study the structure and tribological properties of DLC/Ti and DLC films. The results show that DLC/Ti film, with I（D）/I（G） 0.28 and corresponding to 76% sp3 content calculated by Raman spectroscopy, uniform chemical composition along depth direction, 98 at% content of carbon, hardness 8.2 GPa and Young＇s modulus 110.5 GPa, compressive stress 6.579 GPa, thickness 46 nm, coefficient of friction 0.08, and critical load 95mN, exhibits excellent mechanical and tribological properties.

FEATURES OF THYRISTOR COMMUTATORS OPERATION OF WELDING CURRENT UNDER PULSED-ARC WELDING

This article presents the special requirements and features of the thyristor commutators of the welding current.Advantages of pulsed - arc welding are described.Specificity of the thyristor commutators op- eration is presented. Semiconductor converter simulation allowing to create the engineering calculating techniques are considered.

Modeling, Simulation and Control of Pulsed DE-GMA Welding Process for Joining of Aluminum to Steel

Joining of aluminum to steel has attracted significant attention from the welding research community,automotive and rail transportation industries.Many current welding methods have been developed and applied,however,they can not precisely control the heat input to work-piece,they are high costs,low efficiency and consist lots of complex welding devices,and the generated intermetallic compound layer in weld bead interface is thicker.A novel pulsed double electrode gas metal arc welding（Pulsed DE-GMAW）method is developed.To achieve a stable welding process for joining of aluminum to steel,a mathematical model of coupled arc is established,and a new control scheme that uses the average feedback arc voltage of main loop to adjust the wire feed speed to control coupled arc length is proposed and developed.Then,the impulse control simulation of coupled arc length,wire feed speed and wire extension is conducted to demonstrate the mathematical model and predict the stability of welding process by changing the distance of contact tip to work-piece（CTWD）.To prove the proposed PSO based PID control scheme’s feasibility,the rapid prototyping experimental system is setup and the bead-on-plate control experiments are conducted to join aluminum to steel.The impulse control simulation shows that the established model can accurately represent the variation of coupled arc length,wire feed speed and the average main arc voltage when the welding process is disturbed,and the developed controller has a faster response and adjustment,only runs about 0.1 s.The captured electric signals show the main arc voltage gradually closes to the supposed arc voltage by adjusting the wire feed speed in 0.8 s.The obtained typical current waveform demonstrates that the main current can be reduced by controlling the bypass current under maintaining a relative large total current.The control experiment proves the accuracy of proposed model and feasibility of new control scheme further.The beautiful and smooth weld beads are also obtained by this method.Pulsed DE-GMAW can thus be considered as an alternative method for low cost,high efficiency joining of aluminum to steel.

Arc and Droplet Behaviors in Horizontal Short-Arc Pulsed Gas Metal Arc Welding of 9%Ni Steel with ERNiCrMo-3 Welding Wire

Short-arc pulsed gas metal arc welding(P-GMAW)was used to solve the dificulties of molten pool spreading and droplet transfer of Ni-based welding wire.Suppression of short-circuit current was used to reduce spatter.Arc length stabilizer was used to acquire a proper and stable arc length maintained at the critical position where short circuit starts to occur.Short-arc P-GMAW with or without arc length stabilizer was compared.The droplet transfer,arc behaviors and weld bead profiles were investigated and compared based on the high-speed photography and observation of weld cross-section.When the arc length stabilizer was deactivated,the arc length was unstable and too short.The droplet transfer mode was mainly short circuit partial transfer,with only a small part of the droplet transferred into the molten pool,with the characteristics of no obvious necking,a few spatters,small droplet impact,long short circuit duration and high short-circuit current.There was also a small proportion of short circuit complete transfer with obvious necking,larger droplet impact,shorter short-circuit duration and lower short-circuit current.With arc length stabilizer,droplet transfer modes were short circuit complete transfer and spray transfer.The spray transfer had the largest droplet impact,no short circuit and no spatter.With the arc length stabilizer activated,a deep penetration,a high penetration ratio,a small reinforcement and a large reinforcement factor were acquired.This provides an innovative method to solve the difficulties of droplet transfer and molten pool spreading and eliminate the incomplete fusion in the GMAW of 9%Ni steel with nickel-based alloy welding wire.

Microstructural Evolution and Mechanical Properties of Inconel 625 Alloy during Pulsed Plasma Arc Deposition Process

Pulsed plasma arc deposition （PPAD）, which combines pulsed plasma cladding with rapid prototyping, is a promising technology for manufacturing near net shape components due to its superiority in cost and convenience of processing. In the present research, PPAD was successfully used to fabricate the Ni-based superalloy Inconel 625 components. The microstructures and mechanical properties of deposits were investigated by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, optical microscopy （OM）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM） with energy dispersive spectrometer （EDS）, microhardness and tensile testers. It was found that the as-deposited structure exhibited homogenous columnar dendrite structure, which grew epitaxially along the deposition direction. Moreover, some intermetallic phases such as Laves phase, minor MC （NbC, TiC） carbides and needle-like δ-Ni3Nb were observed in y-Ni matrix. Precipitation mechanism and distribution characteristics of these intermetallic phases in the as-deposited 625 alloy sample were analyzed. In order to evaluate the mechanical properties of the deposits, microhardness was measured at various location （including transverse plane and longitudinal plane）. The results revealed hardness was in the range of 260- 285 HVo.2. In particular, microhardness at the interface region between two adjacent deposited layers was slightly higher than that at other regions due to highly refined structure and the disperse distribution of Laves particles. Finally, the influence of precipitation phases and fabrication strategies on the tensile properties of the as-deposited samples was investigated. The failure modes of the tensile specimens were analyzed with fractography.

Effect of Welding Parameters on Dilution and Weld Bead Geometry in Cladding

The effect of pulsed gas metal arc welding （GMAW） variables on the dilution and weld bead geometry in cladding X65 pipeline steel with 316L stainless steel was studied. Using a full factorial method, a series of experiments were carried out to know the effect of wire feed rate, welding speed, distance between gas nozzle and plate, and the vertical angle of welding on dilution and weld bead geometry. The findings indicate that the dilution of weld metal and its dimension i.e. width, height and depth increase with the feed rate, but the contact angle of the bead decreases first and then increases. Meantime, welding speed has an opposite effect except for dilution. There is an interaction effect between welding parameters at the contact angle. The results also show forehand welding or decreasing electrode extension decrease the angle of contact. Finally, a mathematical model is contrived to highlight the relationship between welding variables with dilution and weld bead geometry.

Numerical simulation for pulsed laser-gas tungsten arc hybrid welding of magnesium alloy

Based on the extended application of COMSOL multiphysics, a novel dual heat source model for pulsed laser-gas tungsten arc （GTA） hybrid welding was established. This model successfully solved the problem of simulation inaccuracy caused by energy superposition effect between laser and arc due to their different physical characteristics. Numerical simulation for pulsed laser-GTA hybrid welding of magnesium alloy process was conducted, and the simulation indicated good agree- ments with the measured thermal cycle curve and the shape of weld beads. Effects of pulse laser parameters （laser-excited current, pulse duration, and pulse frequency） on the temperature field and weld pool morphology were investigated. The experimental and simulation results suggest that when the laser pulse energy keeps constant, welding efficiency of the hybrid heat source is increased by increasing laser current or decreasing pulse duration due to the increased ratio of the weld bead depth to width. With large laser currents, severe spatters tend to occur. For optimized welding process, the laser current should be controlled in the range of 150-175 A, the pulse duration should be longer than 1 ms, and the pulse frequency should be equal to or slightly greater than 20 Hz.

Vision sensing of P-GMAW weld pool using narrow band filters with different center wavelengths

The selection of narrow band filter＇s center wavelength has an important influence on the quality of the weld pool image captured in passive vision mettmd for controlling arc welding process. In this paper, 29 narrow band filters with different center wavelengths ranging from ultraviolet to near infrared wavelength were used to capture images of weld pool during both the peak current period and the base current period of P-GMA W （ pulsed gas metal arc welding）. The experimental results showed that the filters with near infrared center wavelength could weaken the arc most during the peak current period, while during the base current period the entire weld pool could be seen with the filters with wavelength above 600 nm. The camera spectral response and the radio of arc to weld pool emission were considered to analyze the phenomenon of experimental results.