Thermal Plasma Systems for Industrial Processes

Abstract

Of the industrial electric heating devices, one of the most useful and efficient in the high temperature range is the plasma arc heater which heats gases by means of an electric arc. It goes far beyond the temperature range of the conventional furnaces, extending from below 2000 F to almost any conceivably useful processing temperature, with efficiencies much higher than can be achieved with combustion heating equipment. Numerous applications for plasma systems exist in the chemical, metallurgical, and specialty materials areas. The applications for plasma systems to be discussed in this paper include: blast furnace conversions, direct reduction or iron ore, hot blast superheating and hydrocarbon pyrolysis. Both the technical and economic aspects of these plasma applications will be described briefly.