System for controlling a high plasma torch with high flow rates of plasma-generating gas
AssigneeSociete Anonyme dite: Aerospatiale Societe Nationale Industrielle
InventorJean-Marie Lambert
Life of this patent
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Abstract
System for controlling a plasma torch generating high power, including a rectifier feeding said torch; a circuit feeding said torch with plasma-generating gas, controlled by a regulating valve; and a controller for controlling the rectifier and the valve in order to control the arc current and the plasma-generating gas flow rate. The valve is actuated by an electropneumatic positioner associated with a pneumatic flow amplifier, the controller receives measurements of the arc voltage and arc current and delivers to the rectifier and to the electropneumatic positioner respectively, arc current and plasma-generating gas flow rate reference values adapted to produce a desired electrical reference power.
Claims4
A system, for controlling a power plasma torch (1) having electrodes, said system comprising:
- a rectifier (4) fed by an electrical mains (5) and supplying a DC supply voltage to said electrodes (2, 3) of said torch;
- a circuit (8) feeding said torch with plasma-generating gas, the flow rate of said gas being controlled by a regulating valve (9);
- means (14) for controlling said rectifier and said valve in order to control the arc current and a plasma-generating-gas flow rate;
- first means (19) for continuously measuring the arc voltage;
- and
- second means (20) for continuously measuring the art current,
- said valve (9) for regulating the flow of plasma-generating gas being of the pneumatic-actuation type and being actuated by an electropneumatic positioner (44) associated with a pneumatic flow amplifier (49);
- said control means (14) receiving the arc-voltage and arc-current measurements delivered respectively by said first and second measuring means (19,20) and delivering to said rectifier (4) and to said electro-pneumatic positioner (49) respectively, arc-current and plasma-generating-gas flow rate reference values adapted to produce a desired electrical reference power.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.