Abstract:
An arc heater has a pair of spaced electrodes at the ends of a cooled copper cylinder with means for admitting an inert gas to be heated at one end of the cylinder and a gas exhaust at the other end of the cylinder. The inside wall of the cooled copper cylinder is lined with pyrolytic graphite either in the form of a cylinder or a series of closely stacked discs. The anisotropic structure of pyrolytic graphite results in high thermal conductivity in the direction radial to the axis of the cylinder and a very low thermal conductivity in a direction parallel to the axis of the cylinder. On the other hand, the electrical resistance of the pyrolitic graphite in the latter direction is quite high, being of the order of 0.2 ohms per inch whereas the electrical resistance of the graphite in the radial direction is very low, being of the order of 1.8 X 10 4 ohms per inch. Accordingly, the pyrolytic graphite lined cylinder offers substantial electrical resistance in the direction of the arc between the two electrodes with a small resistance loss through the graphite in that direction.
Abstract translation:电弧加热器在冷却的铜筒的端部具有一对间隔开的电极,其具有允许在气缸的一端被加热的惰性气体和在气缸的另一端的排气的装置。 冷却的铜圆筒的内壁衬有热解石墨,其形式为圆柱体或一系列紧密堆叠的圆盘。 热解石墨的各向异性结构导致在与圆柱体的轴线径向的方向上的高热导率,并且在平行于圆柱体的方向的方向上产生非常低的热导率。 另一方面,热解石墨在后一方向的电阻相当高,为0.2欧姆/英寸,而石墨在径向方向上的电阻非常低,约为1.8 x 10 4欧姆/英寸。 因此,热解石墨衬里的圆柱体在两个电极之间的电弧方向提供了实质的电阻,在该方向上通过石墨具有小的电阻损耗。