A study of MHD and Monte Carlo simulations of high-current plasma beams in industrial applications
Abstract
In recent years, high-current plasma beams have been widely applied in industrial applications. Computational approaches help us easily understand plasma properties. In this thesis, the high-current plasma beams are simulated using Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), Monte Carlo (MC), and Integrated Hybrid MHD and MC (IMHDMC) methods. For the new MHD method, the pressure, velocity and density of the high-current plasma beams are obtained by solving the mass, energy and momentum conservation equations, together with Ohm’s law, Faraday’s law and Ampere’s law. For the new MC method, the MC algorithm and codes are developed to calculate the electron flux, heat and deposit energy based on the particle transport processes and collisions in magnetic fields. For the IMHDMC method, the density profiles of electron and argon ions are calculated in the MC modelling part and the temperature and Lorentz force are calculated in the MHD modelling part. The MHD, MC and IMHDMC methods are quantitatively and qualitatively verified by comparing the simulation results of the three methods with the real experiment data. The comparison and discussion between the MHD, MC and IMHDMC methods are presented from the theoretical and simulation aspects in detail. The two specific cases have been briefly discussed: plasma gasification and fusion energy generation. This thesis is focused on developing new computational methods for high-current plasma beams to provide design and implementation references in industrial applications. The computational simulations help us understand the complex phenomena surrounding the high-current plasma beams and lead to better understanding of plasma dynamics involved in industrial applications.