COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES FOR THE TREATMENT OF THE ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD FOR STUDYING INDUCTIVELY-COUPLED PLASMA TORCHES BY MEANS OF THE FLUENT CODE

摘要

A new technique for the treatment of the electromagnetic field is proposed for numerically studying inductively coupled plasma torches within FLUENT environment. The method is based on the use of a linked external routine which fully solves the electromagnetic field equations on an extended grid, allowing the fluid-dynamics domain to be limited to the torch region. The advantages of the new approach with respect to that using entirely FLUENT are pointed out. Comparisons between results obtained employing either magnetic dipole or zero potential boundary conditions for the electromagnetic field are presented. All the calculations have been performed for a 2D axisymmetric torch under the assumptions of laminar flow for the LT.E., optically thin argon plasma.