摘要 |
A high velocity, high pressure plasma gun operates in stable fashion and with a relatively constant arc input power using a highly combustible arc gas such as nitrogen. The gun includes an anode having an internal arc chamber and a nozzle extending through the anode from the arc chamber. The gun also includes a cathode disposed within the anode and having a generally cylindrical tip portion with a flat surface facing the arc chamber and formed by a tungsten insert in the tip portion. The arc chamber, which has a wall of varying slope along the length thereof, may comprise successive conical portions of different slope and shape, or it may comprise a bell-shaped configuration. The flat surface of the cathode tip portion and the varying wall slope of the arc chamber combine to prevent the arc produced by nitrogen or other highly combustible arc gases form burning or otherwise damaging the cathode tip and the arc chamber.
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