Characterization of opportunity for upgrading of the system based on arc plasma torch for thermal spaying of ceramic materials, by means of use of fuel vortex intensifier. Part II. Thermal engineering estimation and experimental testing

The main trends in the field of improving thermal spraying processes for ceramic coatings formation is, along with enhancement of coating properties, also the reducing the energy consumption for the process. In this regard, one of the important directions for improving these technologies with plasma is the development of their new versions, using the principle of adding inexpensive fuel-oxidizing mixtures based on hydrocarbons (natural gas, liquefied gas) with air. This type of plasma-fuel type of spraying will be promising for application at the present time, first of all, in order to obtain refractory functional coatings. For this purpose, the opportunity for upgrading an industrial unit/system for plasma spraying of powder materials with arc plasma torch of 25–40 kW power was investigated with the use of experimental variant of a fuel gas-vortex intensifier. Herewith the thermal engineering assessment for possible parameters of the generated high-temperature flow from the torch with this intensifier was carried out to compare these with established thermodynamic characteristics on the applicability range of this system for optimization of the oxide and carbide coating spraying process (using the examples of Al₂O₃, Cr₃C₂ and other powders); and gas dynamic and heat transfer calculations of the intensifier operating regimes in this model unit was also performed. New regimes, which were analyzed in our research as the simulants of Al₂O₃ spraying, have the advantage over the N₂-plasma regimes from the point of view of such kinetic parameter of powder processing as ability of heating factor of hot gas medium. Taking into account the calculated data, the experimental system was developed based on the standard spraying unit UPU-3D with a fuel intensifier of the selected design and the preliminary testing of its operation was carried out at the power of 30±2 kW under the following combination of gases in the torch: nitrogen and mixture of liquefied petroleum gas with air. This system has shown the stable operation in certain range of parameters and, according to the zonal calorimetrical measurement and photo-registration of jets, it provides 30–35 % more energy emission from torch generated jet (with attached fuel vortex chamber) in atmospheric conditions, in a comparison with the torch regime with pure N₂-plasma with the same power on the arc of plasma heater. Use of the system creates an opportunity to spray carbide powders as well as oxide ones at improved intensity of coating producing in a comparison with standard regimes of commercial spraying units with N₂ or Ar plasmas.

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