ANALYSIS OF THE PLASMA-PARTICLE INTERACTION DURING THE PLASMA SPRAYING OF BERYLLIUM

Beryllium plasma-spray technology is being investigated as a method fo r coating plasma facing surfaces inside the international thermonuclea r experimental reactor (ITER). This study investigated the plasma and plasma-particle interactions that occur during the plasma-spraying of beryllium. To evaluate the effect of the chamber pressure on the tempe rature, velocity, and trajectory profiles of the injected beryllium pa rticles, the particles were numerically analyzed at three operating pr essures (i.e., 101.3, 66.6 and 46.6 kPa) under a fixed operating condi tion. The thermal plasma was numerically modeled to predict the gas dy namics of the plasma column and plume. This information was then used as boundary conditions to solve the plasma-particle interaction proble m at the various operating pressures. Calculations were performed for beryllium particles that ranged in diameter between 4 and 38 mu m. Res ults of the numerical simulations describing the particle temperatures , velocities, and trajectories are discussed.