During high-current vacuum arcing, asymmetric arcing with off-center plasma columns may occur due to stochastic discharge initiation and mechanical motion, receiving less research attention than symmetric arcing. The objective of this paper is to num...
This article presents the author’s methodology for testing selected parameters of a low-current vacuum arc, implemented using an innovative test stand based on a vacuum discharge chamber with a contact system mounted inside. In order to verify...
The main component of vacuum interrupters responsible for ensuring the correct flow of current is the contact system. In a vacuum environment, due to the higher values of the mean free path of electrons and particles in the contact gap, the material...
The insulation performance of vacuum arc interrupters greatly affects the reliability of vacuum circuit breakers. Optimizing the electric field distribution of a vacuum arc interrupter can improve its insulation performance. Here, we establish a two-...
Vacuum arc commutation is an important process in natural-commutate hybrid direct current (DC) circuit breaker (NHCB) interruption, as the duration of vacuum arc commutation will directly affect the arcing time and interrupting time of NHCB. In this...
In this paper, we present our research into the interruption performance of vacuum circuit breakers in aviation intermediate-frequency (360 Hz to 800 Hz) power supply systems. Intermediate-frequency vacuum arc experiments were carried out in interrup...
In this paper, the effect of an external ultrafast transverse magnetic field (UFTMF) on a vacuum arc in the diffused mode has been studied. According to the results of studies, a novel approach for making a zero-crossing in a DC arc current has been...
This critical overview analyzes the relations between deposition conditions and structure for hydrogen-free carbon films, prepared by vacuum arc deposition. The manifold of film structures can be roughly divided into graphitic, nanostructured and amo...
AlTiN nitride coatings on the surfaces of metal-working tools can greatly extend their service life. The coatings are deposited from plasma flows generated by vacuum arc burning on the cathode surface. The elemental and charge composition of the plas...
Vacuum arc thruster performance in a magnetic nozzle configuration is experimentally characterized. Measurements are performed on a miniature coaxial thruster with an anode inner diameter of 1.8 mm. The magnetic field B is produced by a singl...
In-orbit additive manufacturing (AM) is a promising approach for fabrication of large structures. It allows to expand and accelerate human space exploration possibilities. Extrusion-based AM was demonstrated in zero gravity, while the realization of...
In the secondary metals refining processes, vacuum arc remelting (VAR) and electroslag remelting (ESR), the consumable electrode is commonly produced by vacuum induction melting (VIM) which employs the regrettably primitive casting technique of simpl...
This review summarizes the more-than-25-years of development of the so-called thermionic vacuum arc (TVA). TVA is an anodic arc discharge in vapors of the material to be deposited; the energy for its melting is delivered by means of a focused electro...
Measurements of ion speed in the plume of a pulsed high-current vacuum arc thruster were performed by means of electrostatic probes. The probes were designed to provide direct speed measurements with minimum disturbance on the plasma jet. Typical mea...
Vacuum arc remelting is the main production method of titanium alloy ingots at present. In order to obtain good quality ingots, it is of great significance to study the formation of the solidification structure of ingots via vacuum arc remelting. In...
In this work, thrust measurements of the high efficient and reliable vacuum arc thruster (HERVAT) are performed for different pulse energies. The thruster system includes a thruster head together with a newly developed pulse processing unit (PPU). Th...
The importance of understanding the energy loss specifics by the cathode for vacuum arc metallic plasma generation and its applications were emphasized. To this end, the heat conduction losses per unit current were characterized by the cathode effect...
In order to support increasingly detailed simulation models in the field of plasma generation and expansion, more experimental data are needed to prove and verify these models. In addition to existing invasive probe methods and spectroscopy, optical...
Laser-Induced Thermionic Vacuum Arc (LTVA) provides a better way to produce uniform metallic thin films than the classical Thermionic Vacuum Arc (TVA) method. In Ti-doped chromium thin films produced using LTVA, the amorphous chromium is superimposed...
Vacuum arc thrusters (VATs) have recently gained significant interest as a micro-propulsion system due to their scalability, low cost, storability, and small form factor. While VATs offer an attractive propulsion solution for CubeSats, conventional p...
The proper control of cathode spot motion is the key issue in the application of vacuum arc deposition (VAD). Improving the arc spot discharge requires considering the structure and properties of the deposited films/coatings as well as the deposition...
Multilayer cermet coatings based on a TiNbZrTaHf high-entropy alloy were produced on solid substrates by plasma-assisted vacuum-arc deposition. The assisting multicomponent metal-gas plasma was generated by evaporating TiNbZrTaHf cathodes in a gas mi...
A series of the multicomponent thin films (binary: Ti-C; Ti-Ag and ternary: Ti-C-Ag; Ti-C-Al) were fabricated by Thermionic Vacuum Arc (TVA) technology in order to study the wear resistance and the anticorrosion properties. The effects of Ti amount o...
Laser Induced-Thermionic Vacuum Arc (LTVA) technology was used for depositing uniform intermetallic CoNi thin films of 100 nm thickness. LTVA is an original deposition method using a combination of the typical Thermionic Vacuum Arc (TVA) system and a...
Ti-Al-N coatings were deposited on high-speed steel substrates by filtered vacuum arc deposition (FVAD) during evaporation of aluminum and titanium cathodes. Distribution of elements, phase composition, and mechanical properties of Ti-Al-N coatings w...
A simulation of magnetic-field-induced ion motion in vacuum arc deposition for the inner surfaces of a tubular workpiece was performed. An auxiliary magnetic field was set to guide the motion of ions inside a pipe, with different magnetic flux densit...
Segregation defects greatly affect the service performance and working life of castings during the vacuum arc remelting (VAR) process. However, the corresponding research on the prediction of segregation defects is still not comprehensive. Through co...
The paper presents the study results of CrN/TiN multi-layer coatings, as well as single-layer TiN and CrN coatings on Cr12MoV cold work die steel deposited by the vacuum-arc plasma-assisted method. Three CrN/TiN coatings of 8-, 16-, and 32-layers wer...
Hypereutectic Al-Co alloys of various Co contents (7–20 weight % (wt.%) Co) were prepared by vacuum arc melting, aiming at investigating the influence of the cobalt content on the microstructure and corrosion behavior. Quite uniform and directional m...
The paper analyzes the structure and properties of metal, cermet, and ceramic NbMoCrTiAl high-entropy alloy (HEA) coatings formed on solid substrates by plasma-assisted vacuum arc deposition (from multicomponent gas-metal plasma through Nb, Mo, Cr, a...
Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films are valued for their high hardness and wear resistance, but their application in harsh environments is limited by high internal stress and poor corrosion resistance. Co-doping with transition metals offers a promising...
For present and future advanced aerospace bearing applications, it is significant and necessary to improve the corrosion resistance of carburized CSS-42L steel. In this study, Cr films of about 1 μm in thickness were fabricated onto carburized CSS...
To improve the anti-tribocorrosion property, and decrease the metal dissolution and wear of stainless-steel components caused by the synergistic action of corrosion and friction in marine environments, Ti-DLC coatings were obtained on steel substrate...
In this study, Fe-25Mn-9Al-8Ni-1C-xTi alloy (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 wt.%) was prepared by vacuum arc melting, and the corresponding microstructure and oxidation behavior at 600 °C were studied. The results show that Fe-25Mn-9Al-8Ni-1C-xTi allo...
To obtain highly homogeneous cobalt–nickel aluminate spinels with small crystallite sizes, CoNiAl alloy thin films were primarily deposited using Laser-induced Thermionic Vacuum Arc (LTVA) as a versatile method for performing processing of mult...
In this study, 8Cr4Mo4V steel was selected as the research material to develop a numerical model of the macrosegregation phenomenon during vacuum arc remelting (VAR). The accuracy of the model was validated by comparing it with the literature and exp...
In this study, Fe-25Mn-xAl-8Ni-C alloys (x = 10 wt.%, 11 wt.%, 12 wt.%, 13 wt.%) were prepared by a vacuum arc melting method, and the microstructure of this series of alloys and the in situ tensile deformation behavior were studied. The results show...
A novel two-stage technology combining vacuum electro-spark alloying (VESA) and pulsed cathodic arc evaporation (PCAE) was approbated for the deposition of TiC-based coatings in inert (Ar) and reactive (C2H4) atmospheres. The deposition was carried o...
The optimisation of the specular reflectance of solar collectors is a key parameter to increase the global yield of concentrated solar power (CSP) plants. In this work, the influence of filtered cathodic vacuum arc deposition parameters, particularly...
Titanium oxide films were deposited at room temperature and with no applied bias using a filtered cathodic vacuum arc (FCVA) system in a reactive oxygen environment. The dependence of film growth on two process parameters, the working pressure (Pw) a...
In recent years, high-entropy alloys have attracted increasing scientific interest. Due to their promising combination of properties, such as high hardness and high temperature stability, they are attractive for use as tool coatings for machining app...
This study explores the utilization of cathodic vacuum arc (CVA) technology to address the limitations of magnetron sputtering technology in preparing amorphous carbon (a-C) coatings, such as having a low ionization rate, low deposition rate, and ins...
During the processing of maraging steels, Titanium easily combines with Nitrogen to form nitride inclusions, known to be deleterious for fatigue properties of the alloy. According to thermodynamic calculations, the precipitation occurs during solidif...
A vacuum-arc pulsed plasma accelerator (APPA) operating at a discharge current of 750 A and a pulse duration of 110 μs with a repetition rate of 5 Hz was employed to deposit thin films and coatings under low- and medium-vacuum conditions. The aim...
High-quality diamond-like carbon (DLC) films are renowned for their exceptional hardness, low friction coefficient, and superior chemical stability. These properties make DLC films exceptionally suitable for protective coatings in optical, mechanical...
Due to the extreme thermal conditions and short lifetimes, experimental exploration of cathode spots in vacuum arcs is very difficult. The intensive heat in the cathode spot is believed to be generated by ion bombardment and by Joule heating. However...
The current work aimed to characterize the morphology, chemical, and mechanical properties of Pt and PtTi thin films deposited via thermionic vacuum arc (TVA) method on glass and silicon substrates. The deposited thin films were characterized by mean...
Vacuum Arc Remelting is an important method of processing reactive and refractory liquid metal alloys, including titanium and zirconium alloys. Recent measurements of the electric arc dynamics under the presence of a time-varying magnetic field durin...
The transport characteristics of the unsteady flow field in rarefied plasma plumes is crucial for a pulsed vacuum arc in which the particle distribution varies from 1016 to 1022 m−3. The direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method and particle-...
FeCrMnxAlCu (x = 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2) high-entropy alloys (HEA) and coatings were prepared through vacuum arc melting and cold spray-assisted induction remelting processes. This study investigated the effect of different Mn contents on the microstruct...
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