TY - JOUR
T1 - Electrical characteristics of the oxyfuel flame while cutting steel
AU - Pond, Teresa L.
AU - Martin, Christopher R.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was performed in part thanks to a donation of steel from Curry Rail of Hollidaysburg, PA; and thanks in part to support from IHT Automation GmbH.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2020/4/1
Y1 - 2020/4/1
N2 - We present the first published record of electrical phenomena in the oxyfuel cutting torch flame while cutting a steel work piece. Measurements of the voltage-current characteristic between the torch and the work piece demonstrate three piecewise-linear regimes in the ±10 V range. Flame resistance measurements in the ohmic regime are studied using three candidate excitation signals while varying fuel/oxygen ratio, feed rate, and standoff distance. Electrical characteristics are also observed during successful and unsuccessful pierce and loss-of-cut events. The flame's electrical resistance is found to be 2.8 kΩ per mm of length; a factor of 3 smaller than the same conditions without cutting oxygen. We present an argument that the drastic increase in plasma conductivity is due to an abundance of electrons produced at the work piece. We draw preliminary conclusions about the potential applicability of these measurements for the in-process detection of standoff, pierce success, and loss-of-cut events.
AB - We present the first published record of electrical phenomena in the oxyfuel cutting torch flame while cutting a steel work piece. Measurements of the voltage-current characteristic between the torch and the work piece demonstrate three piecewise-linear regimes in the ±10 V range. Flame resistance measurements in the ohmic regime are studied using three candidate excitation signals while varying fuel/oxygen ratio, feed rate, and standoff distance. Electrical characteristics are also observed during successful and unsuccessful pierce and loss-of-cut events. The flame's electrical resistance is found to be 2.8 kΩ per mm of length; a factor of 3 smaller than the same conditions without cutting oxygen. We present an argument that the drastic increase in plasma conductivity is due to an abundance of electrons produced at the work piece. We draw preliminary conclusions about the potential applicability of these measurements for the in-process detection of standoff, pierce success, and loss-of-cut events.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.expthermflusci.2019.109985
DO - 10.1016/j.expthermflusci.2019.109985
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85075726290
SN - 0894-1777
VL - 112
JO - Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science
JF - Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science
M1 - 109985
ER -