A turbulent flow model for the rf inductively coupled plasma

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Abstract
A mathematical representation is given for the turbulent fluid flow and energy transfer in an rf induction plasma. The flow and temperature fields are obtained through the solution of the two‐dimensional rotationally symmetric turbulent Navier–Stokes equations along with the energy and the one‐dimensional Maxwell’s equations for the electric and magnetic fields. The turbulent viscosity is determined using the standard k‐ε model. Results are given for an argon plasma under atmospheric conditions. Different aspects of turbulent flows and their implications in rf plasmas are discussed. The results indicate the presence of both laminar and turbulent regimes in the same flow field. The effect of swirl in the plasma gas is to increase the overall turbulence level in the torch.