Session: CIE-03-01 - Computational Multiphysics

Paper Number: 91096

91096 - Controlling Microwave Energy Deposition Using Active Plasma Elements for Material Processing Applications 

This work is motivated by the need to modulate microwave beam propagation, phase, shape, and direction using an array of plasma elements for the purpose of tailored microwave radiation induced localized heating for material processing applications. For this purpose a direct current driven confined but controllable cylindrical plasma element is considered to be inserted between the microwave radiation beam source and material of interest. In order to establish the feasibility of the process, an accurate model of an Argon Mercury plasma and plasma-microwave coupling was developed and described herein.  Both microwave plasma heating and magnetic plasma couplings are considered. The model is first implemented on a 2D geometry before being extended to a 3D geometry. The required computational framework was implemented within the COMSOL Multiphysics finite element solver. The obtained solutions of the relevant partial differential equations and the associated predictions led to an increase of the understanding of the interplay between plasma and electronic properties under consideration in the model. Model implementation confirms that a plasma element can be used to modulate incident microwave radiation, thereby shaping the transmitted signal.  The framework also enables analysis of beam shaping techniques under consideration for material processing of ceramics.  For ceramic processing, beam shaping techniques are being used to direct microwave radiation to predictable, localized areas in order to sinter the dielectric powders under consideration.

Presenting Author: Benjamin Graber US. Naval Research Laboratory

Presenting Author Biography: Benjamin Graber, Ph.D. is a previous Jerome Karle Research Fellow and recipient of the National Academies Fellowship. He currently works in the Computational Multiphysics group at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. His primary research areas are system controls, robotics design, microwave plasma, ceramic sintering, and several fields tangential to additive manufacturing. His modelling work includes microwave sintering of ceramics, plasma element control of microwave radiation, and high temperature thermo-electric systems.

Authors:

Benjamin Graber US. Naval Research Laboratory
Athanasios Iliopoulos US. Naval Research Laboratory
John Michopoulos US. Naval Research Laboratory
John Steuben US. Naval Research Laboratory
Nicole Apetre US. Naval Research Laboratory
George Petrov US Naval Research Laboratory
Luke Johnson US. Naval Research Laboratory (former employee)
Richard Fischer US. Naval Research Laboratory
Edward Gorzkowski US. Naval Research Laboratory
Eric Patterson US. Naval Research Laboratory