The voltage of a vacuum arc can vary significantly depending on the specific application and conditions, but generally, it involves high-voltage settings to initiate and maintain the arc. In the context of vacuum heat treatment furnaces, the working voltage for electric heating elements is typically kept below 80-100 volts to prevent severe arc flash discharge, which can damage components and lead to accidents. In more specialized applications like thermionic vacuum arcs (TVA), the voltage required to ignite the discharge between electrodes can be higher, especially when using a heated cathode and an anode in high-vacuum conditions. Additionally, in processes like vacuum arc remelting (VAR), which uses a DC power supply to generate an arc, the voltage and current can be quite high, with remelting currents up to 48 kA under vacuum conditions.
The voltage in vacuum arcs is critical because it directly influences the initiation and stability of the arc. In vacuum heat treatment furnaces, maintaining a lower voltage helps in preventing the glow discharge or arc discharge, which can be destructive. The spacing between electrodes is also crucial to avoid these discharges. In contrast, in TVA and VAR processes, higher voltages are necessary to achieve the required heating and melting of materials. The TVA, for instance, requires a high enough voltage to ignite a bright discharge between the heated cathode and the anode, which then generates a plasma containing ions with directed energy. Similarly, in VAR, the high voltage and current are used to melt the electrode under vacuum conditions, facilitating the formation of a molten pool and subsequent solidification into an ingot.
Overall, the voltage of a vacuum arc is tailored to the specific requirements of the application, ranging from relatively low values in safety-critical environments like vacuum heat treatment furnaces to much higher values in specialized processes like TVA and VAR.
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