In research work, it is often necessary to develop new measuring methods or use unorthodox methods. It may be necessary to simulate processes in materials or environments other than the ones it is really desired to study.
At Saclay Atomic Research Center near Paris, it is desired to study arc welding on metals. Especially the plasma formation is of interest. Measurement on plasma during arc welding is not easy, and therefore it is necessary to find a way to simulate the plasma formation to make it possible to perform the desired measurements.
Saclay simulates the plasma by means of water and the arc by means of an air jet. With two ODS 30 sensors, measurements are performed on the propagation of the wave in two directions. The air jet uses a very small pressure, and thus the waves formed are very small. The amplitude of the waves is detected by the sensors, and by means of an oscilloscope it is possible to transform the measurements to frequencies.
The results of the measurements on water can then be translated into the desired information on the plasma formation in metals during arc welding.
