Improved arc reactor with advanceable electrode

An arc reactor used in treating a powder material that is conductive at very high temperatures, comprising:

• a vertical electrically-insulated sleeve having an upper end, a lower end, and a cylindrically-shaped internal wall;
• an upper electrode which is made of a consumable material and which is coaxially mounted at the upper end of the sleeve;
• a bottom electrode cooperating with the upper electrode, both electrodes being connected to an electric power source, the electric power source producing an arc column between the upper and bottom electrodes;
• means for injecting a first gas tangentially into the sleeve, the first gas creating a vortex inside the sleeve;
• means for introducing the powder material inside the sleeve near the upper end beside the upper electrode, the means for introducing said powder material forming a substantially uniform cylindrical curtain of particles falling down into the sleeve, the particles being centrifugally projected against the internal wall of the sleeve by the vortex, the particles entirely covering and shielding the internal wall while simultaneously being radiated by the arc column, the particles being transformed into a molten form by the arc column;
• a crucible which is positioned under the lower end of the sleeve and which collects the particles in molten form that drip down from the lower end of the sleeve, the particles in molten form being in conductive contact with the bottom electrode;
• positioning means for adjusting a vertical position of the upper electrode by sliding the upper electrode through the upper end of the sleeve;
• and
• wherein the positioning means comprise advancement means and advancement control means, the advancement control means comprising a unit made of a radiation sensor, a light pipe in communication with the sensor and the internal wall, and a second gas supply in communication with the light pipe for cleaning said curtain of particles from the light pipe, the sensor controlling the advancement means for sensing the presence or absence of radiation emitted by the arc or the upper electrode from a direction aligned with the light pipe.

An arc reactor used in treating a powder material that is conductive at very high temperatures, comprising:

• a vertical electrically-insulated sleeve having an upper end, a lower end, and a cylindrically-shaped internal wall;
• an upper electrode which is made of a consumable material coaxially and which mounted at the upper end of the sleeve;
• a bottom electrode cooperating with the upper electrode, both electrodes being connected to an electric power source, the electric power source producing an arc column between the upper and bottom electrodes;
• means for injecting a first gas tangentially into the sleeve, the first gas creating a vortex inside the sleeve;
• means for introducing the powder material inside the sleeve near the upper end beside the upper electrode, the means for introducing said powder material forming a substantially uniform cylindrical curtain of particles falling down into the sleeve, the particles being centrifugally projected against the internal wall of the sleeve by the vortex, the particles entirely covering and shielding the internal wall while simultaneously being radiated by the arc column, the particles being transformed into a molten form by the arc column;
• a crucible which is positioned under the lower end of the sleeve and which collects the particles in molten form that drip down from the lower end of the sleeve, the particles in molten form being in conductive contact with the bottom electrode;
• positioning means for adjusting a vertical position of the upper electrode by sliding the upper electrode through the upper end of the sleeve;
• and
• wherein the positioning means comprises electrode weighing means for weighing a weight of the upper electrode, the upper electrode having a known density, and electrode length measuring means for measuring a length of the upper electrode outside the reactor, the vertical position of the upper electrode inside the sleeve being calculated from the length of the upper electrode outside the reactor, the weight of the upper electrode and the density of the upper electrode.