CHARACTERISTICS OF CYLINDRICAL ARCS AT HIGH TEMPERATURES,

Abstract

The properties of stationary cylindrical arcs at very high temperatures are studied on the basis of a fully ionized hydrogen-like plasma. The fundamental equations of this problem, the energy balance, the current-voltage equation and the condition for the equilibrium between magnetic pressure and gas pressure are not integrated exactly but solved with the aid of Steenbeck's principle of minimal electric field strength, the principle which is shown to present a special case of the universal thermodynamic principle of minimal entropy production. By comparison with some experimental data in the temperature range up to 50,000K and with results of the nearly exact method of approximation given by Maecker, it is shown that the application of this principle leads to proper approximate solutions in a rather simple way. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 01, 1959
Accession Number
AD0652930

Entities

Organizations

  • AGARD

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Arrhenius Equation
  • Electric Fields
  • Equations
  • Experimental Data
  • High Temperature
  • Hydrogen
  • Mathematics
  • Production
  • Stationary

Readers

  • Fluid Dynamics.
  • Plasma Physics.
  • Systems Analysis and Design