Tomographic investigation of plasma jets produced by multielectrode plasma torches

Recent advances in the development of new plasma torches rely on the use of multiple electrodes to improve plasma jet stability. Examples are the Triplex, employing three cathodes and a single anode, and the Delta, which uses three anodes with a single common cathode. To characterize the plasma jet produced by these plasma torches, initial experiments have been performed using tomography in the visible range. Due to the improved stability of the plasma jet in the multielectrode configuration it is possible to carry out tomography by means of a regular charge-coupled device (CCD) camera, which is rotated around the plasma jet axis. The two-dimensional information obtained by the CCD camera is subsequently processed to produce an image of the three-dimensional emission distribution. The tomographic analysis is mated with a simple but effective simulation tool, which can be used as a basis for parameter-dependent multielectrode plasma torch design.