Issue Eur. Phys. J. Appl. Phys. Volume 46, Number 2, May 2009 Article Number 21001 Number of page(s) 10 Section Plasma, Discharges and Processes DOI 10.1051/epjap/2009049 Published online 08 April 2009

Eur. Phys. J. Appl. Phys. 46, 21001 (2009)
DOI: 10.1051/epjap/2009049

Modeling of an axial injection torch

L.L. Alves¹, R. Álvarez¹, L. Marques^{1, 2}, S.J. Rubio³, A. Rodero³ and M.C. Quintero<sup>3

1</sup>  Instituto de Plasmas e Fusão Nuclear, Instituto Superior Técnico, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
²  Centro de Física da Universidade do Minho, Universidade do Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
³  Departamento de Física, Universidad de Córdoba, Campus Universitario de Rabanales, Spain

llalves@ist.utl.pt

Received: 26 August 2008 / Received in final form: 27 November 2008 / Accepted: 18 February 2009 / Published online: 8 April 2009

Abstract
This paper presents simulation results for a microwave (2.45 GHz) plasma reactor, operated by an axial injection torch (AIT). The study gives a two-dimensional description of the AIT-reactor system, based on an electromagnetic model (that solves Maxwell's equations adopting a time-harmonic description, yielding the distribution of the electromagnetic fields and the average power absorbed by the plasma), and a hydrodynamic model (that solves the Navier-Stokes' equations for the flowing neutral gas, yielding the distribution of mass density, pressure, temperature, and velocities). Comparison between model results and experimental measurements reveal common variation trends, with changes in the reactor height, for the power reflected by the system, and yield a qualitative agreement for the axial profile of the gas rotational temperature. Model results, such as the power transmission coefficient and the gas temperature, are particularly dependent on the reactor dimensions, the electron density and temperature, and the gas input flow, which indicates that simulations can be used to provide general guidelines for device optimization.

PACS
52.75.Hn - Plasma torches.
52.50.Sw - Plasma heating by microwaves; ECR, LH, collisional heating.
52.30.-q - Plasma dynamics and flow.

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