Abstract
Plasma sparks from an electrical discharge machining phics. (EDM) process were observed using fiber optics positioned the dielectric oil. New measurement techniques were developed to observe the spark in the extremely noisy environment. Optical data were used along with current pulse waveforms from the EDM machine to study the temporal characteristics of the spark. During this experiment an optical pattern was identified that indicated when an arc was being formed in the EDM machine instead of a spark. Spectral data of the plasma spark was obtained by using a scanning grating spectrometer in conjunction with cross correlation to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio. An average temperature of the spark was estimated to be 7700'K from the spectral data, which is within 10% of the value that Dr. Philip Eubank's CAP simulator predicted.
Pillans, Brandon William (1998). Fiber optic diagnostic techniques for the electrical discharge machining process. Master's thesis, Texas A&M University. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /ETD -TAMU -1998 -THESIS -P55.