Application of different radiation models in the simulation of air plasma flows

This paper deals with the simulation of the energy transport due to radiation in air plasma flows. The numerical investigation of the plasma is based on magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) equations which are solved using the commercial CFD package Fluent. Different radiation models, a P-1 radiation model, a discrete ordinates model and a model based on the net emission coefficient, are applied for the calculation of the radiative transfer within the plasma in several arc applications like the wall-stabilized arc, the free-burning arc and the convection-stabilized arc. The simulation results are verified by measured distributions of temperature, pressure and electric field strength.