Analysis and optimization of acceleration model in coaxial plasma gun in pre-fill mode

Abstract

Snowplow model is the main method to describe the acceleration process of coaxial plasma gun in the pre-fill mode, which can directly give the analytical expression of plasma velocity versus time. So it has become an important reference in designing the device structures satisfying the requirements for different applications. Through measuring the current, magnetic and optical signals, the characteristics of current during the discharge and the motion of plasmoid are investigated. The variation of discharge current with time is close to the damping sine curve, which is an underdamping solution of RLC equivalent discharge circuit. The measured current in lieu of the sine one is used to calculate the theoretical velocity so as to eliminate the error of magnetic pressure. The variation of plasma velocity with discharge voltage and chamber pressure are consistent with those obtained by solving the equation of plasma motion under snow plough model, but the acceleration process is another story. At the initial stage of the discharge, owing to the low sweep efficiency, the plasma is accelerated to a higher velocity than the predicted one, the increase of voltage and the decrease of pressure further enhance the effect. With the extension of the acceleration distance, owing to the friction resistance between plasma and electrodes, the acceleration slows down and the velocity starts to fall below the predicated value, the saturation of plasma velocity at the nozzle is found. The friction resistance term is added to the equation of plasma motion. Compared with the deviation range of 26.8%–53.6% of the existing model, the differences between the theoretical speed and the measured speed under different voltages and pressures are in a range of 3.1%–8.4% after adding the friction resistance term into the equation of plasma motion. The optimization of snow plow model greatly improves the accuracy of velocity prediction, which can provide an effective reference for designing device structure and calculating energy efficiency.