“Electric Arc Heated Plasma Torch” Project:
Revolutionary - Steam instead of Noble Gas
Plasma is not unusual in nature - the so-called forth aggregate state is found in lightning, the Aurora Borealis, the sun’s corona and in interstellar space. Although, therefore, 99 percent of the visible material in the universe is in a plasma state, it is still a true challenge to manufacture this electrically conductive gas artificially for technical applications. The development of plasma sources for space applications is not an unknown task for the Steinbeis Transfer Centre for Space. The principle new aspect of this project “Electric Arc Heated Plasma Torch”, which was carried out together with PlasmaAir AG, was that the plasma sources were developed with steam as the plasma gas. Up to now, mainly noble gases and reduced gases such as nitrogen have been used for electric arc plasma sources. In this project a plasma source was developed and qualified using steam as the plasma gas - a real innovation! The new development offers, in addition to numerous technical advantages, the best prerequisites for a wide range of applications such as the thermal and chemical treatment of special waste. It is hardly surprising that a system set up for demonstration purposes in the Steinbeis Transfer Centre for Space has already been sold.
Advantages of Steam Plasma:
- Cost savings: lower operating and investment costs
- Versatility: operation with different gases is possible without extensive modification
- Enthalpic density: extremely high values can be achieved with steam plasma
- Chemical composition: steam plasma is chemically highly reactive and therefore very interesting for process applications
Technical Data of the Steam Torch System:
- Development of the plasma sources, the special power supply and a suitable steam generator
- Currently available and qualified: plasma sources including the subsystems in the range of 1-30 kW
- Available and qualified in the future: Steam plasma sources with an output of up to 100 kW
Possible Applications for the new Type of Plasma Sources:
- Thermal and chemical treatment of special waste
- Plasma cutting
- Thermal surface treatment of materials
- Plasma spraying of materials and ceramics with high melting points