Abstract The inductively-heated plasma generator IPG6-B has been established at Baylor University as an experimental facility and plasma wind tunnel for multiple scientific applications including research in (aerospace) engineering, astrophysics, complex (dusty) plasmas and materials science. Within this work, the wide range of operational parameters provided the facility is presented. A pitot probe and a calorimeter were designed and qualified to measure generator efficiency, plasma enthalpy and Mach number as well as resistance and reactance of the plasma for various power levels and volume flows. Sub- and supersonic flow conditions for Mach numbers between M a = 0.3 − 1.4 have been characterized for air, Argon, Helium and Nitrogen. Overall power coupling efficiency as well as specific bulk enthalpy of the flow have been determined by calorimeter measurements to be between η = 0.05 − 0.45 and h s = 5 − 35 MJ kg−1 respectively depending on gas type and pressure. The characterization has shown a wide range of reproducible plasma conditions that can be produced by the facility. As such, the results of this work enable planning and design of future experiments and assessment of future improvements of the facility.

中文翻译：

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用于科学应用的感应加热等离子体发生器 IPG6-B 的操作行为

摘要 感应加热等离子体发生器 IPG6-B 已在贝勒大学建立，作为实验设施和等离子体风洞，用于多种科学应用，包括（航空航天）工程、天体物理学、复杂（尘埃）等离子体和材料科学的研究。在这项工作中，提供了设施提供的各种操作参数。设计了一个皮托管和一个热量计，并对其进行了认证，以测量发电机效率、等离子体焓和马赫数以及等离子体在各种功率水平和体积流量下的电阻和电抗。对于空气、氩气、氦气和氮气，M a = 0.3 - 1.4 之间马赫数的亚音速和超音速流动条件已被表征。总功率耦合效率以及流量的特定体积焓已通过量热计测量确定，分别在 η = 0.05 - 0.45 和 hs = 5 - 35 MJ kg-1 之间，具体取决于气体类型和压力。表征显示了该设施可以产生的各种可重现的等离子体条件。因此，这项工作的结果有助于规划和设计未来的实验以及评估设施的未来改进。