This study was undertaken to examine the mechanisms which produce the
large entrainment measured near the exit of thermal plasma torches. A
research facility was constructed to examine low density jet behavior
under similar dimensionless conditions as those produced by thermal pl
asma spray torches; the Reynolds number based on jet diameter and aver
age properties was 1000, and the ratio of jet to ambient density was 0
.07. This very low density jet produced organized vortex structures wh
ich were partially responsible for the rapid entrainment of external a
ir. The formation of these organized structures could be disrupted by
introducing turbulence, but the rapid entrainment process was not sign
ificantly affected. The structure of the jet produced by a commercial
plasma torch was examined and compared to the low density research jet
. At low gas flow rates the plasma jet also displayed the formation of
coherent vortex structures, the passage frequency of which compared f
avorably with that measured in the low density research jet. At higher
gas flow rates the shear layer of the plasma jet rapidly broke down p
roducing relatively small scale turbulence. Visualizations of the hot
plasma core were compared against measurements of the torch voltage fl
uctuations caused by arc instabilities. At low flow rates the arc volt
age fluctuations were quite low and the plume was very steady. At high
er flow rates the arc voltage fluctuations increased and produced ''su
rging'' and ''whipping'' in the hot potential core. It is believed tha
t this low frequency unsteadiness is partially responsible for the rap
id entrainment measured in plasma torches.