Modeling Plasma-Particle Interaction in Multi-Arc Plasma Spraying

The properties of plasma-sprayed coatings are controlled by the heat, momentum, and mass transfer between individual particles and the plasma jet. The particle behavior in conventional single-arc plasma spraying has been the subject of intensive numerical research, whereas multi-arc plasma spraying has not yet received the same attention. We propose herein a numerical model to serve as a scientific tool to investigate particle behavior in multi-arc plasma spraying. In the Lagrangian description of particles in the model, the mathematical formulations describing the heat, momentum, and mass transfer are of great importance for good predictive power, so such formulations proposed by different authors were compared critically, revealing that different mathematical formulations lead to significantly different results. The accuracy of the different formulations was evaluated based on theoretical considerations, and those found to be more accurate were implemented in the final model. Furthermore, a mathematical formulation is proposed to enable simplified calculation of partial particle melting and resolidification.