STUDY OF A SEEDED PLASMA
Abstract
A study was made concerning the method of increasing the electrical conductivity of a gas by introducing a foreign eleme t in o the g s flo . The important chemical reactions which take place when a fluid is seeded were analyzed as a function of temperature and pressure. The seeding elements considered (alkali metals, alkali e earths, and aluminum) were selected on the b sis of their relatively low ionization potential. The fluids considered were air, oxygen, and nitrogen, although the results are applicable to any fluid. Major conclusions are: (1) The most favorable seeding element for thermal ionization of seeded air is that with the lowest ionization potenti l, although the stability of the MO gaseous molecules are of significance for the seeding elements considered, (2) If seeding is to be accomplished in a combustion region for diagno tic purposes, sodium or potassium should be used because of the relatively high stability of the MOH gaseous molecules of the other seeding elements, (3) The collision cross sections of the neutral sodium atom and the singly ionized sodium atom do not appear to be sufficiently large to influence the effective collision frequency of the plasma at the seeding rates tested. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1962
- Accession Number
- AD0275598
Entities
People
- Robert S. Bushman
Organizations
- University of Michigan