Influence of the gas density on the motion of a free plasma piston in the railgun channel

Zhukov, B. G.; Reznikov, B. I.; Kurakin, R. O.; Rozov, S. I.

doi:10.1134/s1063784207070079

“…Likewise, other researchers are doing relevant work: Zhukov works in plasmas and solid state materials. [ 40 ] Schwabe works in dusty plasmas. [ 41 ]…”

Section: Results and Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Lightning for Energy and Material Uses: A Structured Review

Helman

¹

2020

Global Challenges

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The average atmospheric charge density of Earth is neutral. Charge built up from thunderstorms and lightning phenomena is offset by oceanic surface charging, and offers a source of energy that has not been harnessed broadly. Unfortunately, the total terrestrial energy of the Earth’s atmospheric electrical system is modest (250–500 MW) compared to industrial requirements: Innovations are likely to offer improvements to societal efficiency rather than broad transformations. Direct capture systems located in places with very high occurrence of lightning discharge can generate ≈1 kWh per year on average. Material processing via triggered lightning is limited to techniques that utilize rapid discharges, e.g., metal and glass preprocessing of materials, waste volume reduction, biomass energy conversion, where current prices make plasma‐arc processes prohibitive. Triggered lightning may be used to assist blasting of mountain rock; or as a high‐voltage input for processes such as nuclear fusion. Passive collection of atmospheric electricity is modest but may be used in urban agriculture to increase biomass production. Thunderstorm charge‐separation processes suggest a new class of electricity generators based on kinetic energy and material collision. Ball lightning suggests additional research in dusty plasmas. These methods are all at proof‐of‐concept or early translation stages.

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“…Lightning harvesting for these functions could be an extension of their work. Likewise, other researchers are doing relevant work: Zhukov (Zhukov et al, 2007) works in plasmas and solid state materials. Schwabe (Schwabe et al, 2007) works in dusty plasmas.…”

Section: Plasma Physicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lightning for Energy and Material Uses: A Structured Review

Helman¹

2020

Preprint

0

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The average atmospheric charge density of Earth is neutral. Charge built up from thunderstorms and lightning phenomena is offset by oceanic surface charging, and offers a source of energy that has not been harnessed broadly. Unfortunately, the total terrestrial energy of the Earth’s atmospheric electrical system is modest (250–500 MW) compared to industrial requirements: Innovations are likely to offer improvements to societal efficiency rather than broad transformations. Direct capture systems located in places with very high occurrence of lightning discharge can generate ≈1 kWh per year on average. Material processing via triggered lightning is limited to techniques that utilize rapid discharges, e.g., metal and glass preprocessing of materials, waste volume reduction, biomass energy conversion, where current prices make plasma‐arc processes prohibitive. Triggered lightning may be used to assist blasting of mountain rock; or as a high‐voltage input for processes such as nuclear fusion. Passive collection of atmospheric electricity is modest but may be used in urban agriculture to increase biomass production. Thunderstorm charge‐separation processes suggest a new class of electricity generators based on kinetic energy and material collision. Ball lightning suggests additional research in dusty plasmas. These methods are all at proof‐of‐concept or early translation stages.

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“…The length of the smooth rail channels varied from 20 to 60 cm; their cross section was 12 × 12 mm. The basic physical result obtained in [7] was that the velocity of the plasma plug fast (on a length of a few centimeters) reached saturation and thereafter remained constant. The reason for the velocity saturation is the resistance of the medium and the involvement of part of the material in the plug motion.…”

mentioning

confidence: 94%

“…Even when a macroscopic body is accelerated in an air atmosphere in the railotron, this body can pick up a velocity of to 4-5 km/s. It is possible to attain a twice as large rate of acceleration of such a body in a helium atmosphere in the case of a free plasma plug [4,7]. Therefore, it should be expected that the quality of a plane fullerene fi lm produced using a railotron must be at least not worse than in the case where a supersonic ion beam is used for these purposes.…”

mentioning

confidence: 97%

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Optimum Gasdynamic Conditions of Use of a Railgun Accelerator for Spraying of Various Materials on Target Surfaces

Алексеев

¹

,

Tverdokhlebov

²

,

Zhukov

³

et al. 2015

J Eng Phys Thermophy

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A model of plasma outfl ow from the channel of a railgun accelerator to an inert-gas atmosphere has been developed with the aim of optimizing the process of deposition of the substance from the plasma phase on the target. It has been established that the interaction between the plasma jet formed from the plug material at exit from the railotron and the gas fl ow preceding the plug must be minimized. It has been shown that the conditions necessary are suffi ciently universal and are reduced to correct choice of the distance at which the target must be installed in relation to the exit section of the railotron channel.Keywords: railotron, plasma spraying, plasma plug, shock waves in the plasma.Introduction. Some of today′s technologies of spraying can successfully be implemented using railgun accelerators (railotrons) [1, 2], making it possible to combine the high (much higher than the velocity of sound) rate of spraying with the high density of atoms (or ions) incident on the target. For a variety of reasons, such combination of parameters is quite diffi cult to realize in alternative technologies.In a railotron, current fl owing through a short-circuited bridge is conveyed to the ends of the electrodes (parallel rails) [3,4]. The bridge can be dielectric or metallic. In the fi rst case the dielectric is accelerated by the pressure of the plasma which is generated on its rear by the discharge current. In this case we speak of the acceleration by a plasma plug effi cient for acceleration of macroscopic bodies weighing as little as a few milligrams. On the other hand, a free plasma plug without a striker represents the source of dense and hot (~2 eV) low-temperature plasma with required composition, concentration, and velocity.The advantages of a railotron can be illustrated with a number of concrete physicotechnological problems. Thus, when a railotron is used for spraying of fullerene fi lms, their vapor is deposited using a supersonic molecular beam of inert gas enriched with C 60 molecules. The kinetic energy of adsorbed molecules may be as high as 10-20 eV [5]. As applied to a fullerene molecule, this corresponds to a velocity of (1.5-2) km/s. The degree of ordering of the fi lm turns out to be much higher than in the traditional deposition of fullerenes in vacuum, which manifests itself as the higher-than-average resistance to laser treatment and stability to the desorption temperature. Experiments conducted in [6] have shown that in such fi lms there form polymeric structures analogous to the structures formed in 3D fullerene samples at high pressure and temperature. From this viewpoint, the opportunities provided by the railotron method in producing thin fullerene fi lms are obvious. Even when a macroscopic body is accelerated in an air atmosphere in the railotron, this body can pick up a velocity of to 4-5 km/s. It is possible to attain a twice as large rate of acceleration of such a body in a helium atmosphere in the case of a free plasma plug [4,7]. Therefore, it should be expected that the quality of a p...

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Influence of the gas density on the motion of a free plasma piston in the railgun channel

Cited by 17 publications

References 3 publications

Lightning for Energy and Material Uses: A Structured Review

Lightning for Energy and Material Uses: A Structured Review

Lightning for Energy and Material Uses: A Structured Review

Optimum Gasdynamic Conditions of Use of a Railgun Accelerator for Spraying of Various Materials on Target Surfaces

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