Power Delivery from the Arc in AC Electric Arc Furnaces with Different Gas Atmospheres

The amount of heat supplied to the electric arc furnace affects the melting rate. Power delivery in a three-phase EAF is influenced not only by the electric parameters such as arc length and voltage but also by thermal properties of the gases that form the plasma in the arc region. Application of the Channel Arc Model (CAM) suggests that power delivery is enhanced with long-arc, maximum tap operation and plasma gases with high heat capacity. It is also suggested that foaming improves power delivery due to the presence of gases with high heat capacity.