Generation of plasma torch by 2.

45 GHz microwaves from a

solid-state power amplifier

Dong H. Shin1, Se M. Chun1, and Yong C. Hong1,a)

Ju S. Lee2

1
Plasma Technology Research Center, National Fusion Research Institute (NFRI), 37

Dongjangsan-ro, Jeollabuk-do, 54004, Republic of Korea

2
KoreaRF (KRF), 126 Beolmal-ro, Dongan-gu, Anyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, 431-060, Republic

of Korea

Abstract

High efficiency electrodeless plasma at atmospheric pressure was generated using 2.45

GHz microwaves with a solid state power amplifier (SSPA) to achieve greater plasma

efficiency in a type WR340 rectangular resonator, in comparison with magnetron. Plasma

flames were sustained in a discharge tube with an inner diameter of 26 mm by swirl flow. With

an applied power of 3.3 kW and the injection of 50 lpm swirl air, the plasma flame length of

the SSPA was 630 mm, demonstrating an almost 30% increase compared with the magnetron

flame length. Subsequently, the Q factors, indicating energy efficiencies of the magnetron and

SSPA, were calculated using frequency analysis data. The obtained Q factors demonstrated an

increase in plasma efficiency by almost one order of magnitude with the SSPA on the WR340

resonator as compared to the magnetron.

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a)
Electronic mail address of corresponding author: ychong@nfri.re.kr

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 Plasma torch using microwave energy at atmospheric pressure has recently gained

significant attention as a heat source for environmental cleanup activities.1-3 Moreover, plasma

torches have various applications in welding, cutting, material processing,4,5 and can possibly

be applied to the production of renewable types of energy, such as hydrogen for fuel cells.6-9

The efficiency of microwave to plasma coupling is close to 100%, and microwave (2.45 GHz.)

energy sources are plentiful and inexpensive. However, despite these advantages, modern

industrial applications of microwave energy are limited due to the short lifetime of the

magnetron used as the microwave source. Magnetron lifetimes are usually ~6000 h, which does

not satisfy industrial requirements. Moreover, the magnetron generates a distorted microwave

signal with respect to amplitude and spectral purity. Its frequency behavior is strongly

dependent on thermos-physical properties of the heated load. Many industrial applications in

material processing require microwave energy with precise frequency and amplitude control

based on feedback from time-dependent process parameters. Solid state power amplifiers

(SSPA) fulfill such requirements providing frequency stability, long lifetime, and high powers.

In fact, the magnetrons still has higher efficiency and output power levels at lower cost than

SSPA, which has great advantages. Despite this, with recent acceleration in development of the

wireless communications technology, which particularly requires precise output control, the

demand for high power and low-cost SSPA is on the rise. To this end, recent years have been

developed of microwave sources with high power and high efficiency SSPA, designed for the

generation of stable plasma.10,11 In this study, the plasma torch flame characteristics generated

by a magnetron and an SSPA were compared. The maximum powers produced by the

magnetron and SSPA were 6 kW and 5 kW, respectively.

We described the design and operation of an atmospheric microwave plasma torch in

detail in previous literature.12-14 In this paper, we provide a brief summary for completeness.

Figure 1 illustrates the experimental setup for plasma discharge with the SSPA microwave
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plasma torch. The device consists of the 2.45 GHz SSPA microwave generator with a maximum

output power of 5 kW, WR340 resonator components, including an isolator, a frequency

analyzer (Agilent network analyzer), a bi-directional power meter (BPM), a 3-stub tuner, and

a field applicator allowing the excitation of a TE10 mode electromagnetic field. The plasma

source consists of a quartz tube inserted into the tapered WR340 resonator operated at 2.45

GHz. The center axis of the quartz tube is located at one-quarter wavelength from the short end

of the resonator and is aligned perpendicularly to the longer side of the rectangular resonator

walls. The three-stub tuner can be adjusted to maximize the electric field induced by the

microwave radiation in the quartz tube. The reflected power adjusted with the three-stub tuner

makes up for less than 1% of the forward power. The plasma flame generated inside the

discharge tube is stabilized by the injection of swirl gas, which enters the discharge tube

sideways, creating a vortex flow in the tube and thus stabilizing the torch flame at the center

of the tube. The swirl gas keeps the 5000 C torch flame off the discharge tube wall, protecting

the wall from torch heat. Temperature profiles are almost flat in the largest measurable plasma

radius, with a maximum value of 6000 K ± 200 K along the axis.15 The flame temperature at a

radius of 10 mm for a 2.45 GHz torch retains 80% of its value along the axis. This implies that

the generated plasma torch has both high temperature and high plasma density, which provides

a highly exceptional and reactive chemical environment. As an example, an air microwave

plasma torch is capable of producing plasma with high temperatures of ~6000 K and high

densities of ~1013/cm3.16 The actual values depend on the gas flow rate rather than microwave

power. An increase in microwave power causes expansion of the plasma flame and an increase

in the gas temperature with little change in electron density. However, the electron density

increases with increasing gas flow rate in this particular experiment, where we applied flow

rates of several liters per min (lpm).

Figure 2 (a) and (b) illustrate differences in the plasma flame length of typical
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microwave plasma torches generated in airflow with a magnetron and an SSPA, respectively.

The plasma flame is stable and reproducible, as shown in Fig. 2. Plasma flames in Fig. 2 (a)

and (b) were generated with 50 lpm swirl air and 3.3 kW incident power confined inside a

quartz tube with an inner diameter of 26 mm and a length of 600 mm. The reflected power was

measured to be less than 10 W, as measured by the BPM. The length of plasma flames generated

by the magnetron and SSPA were 490 mm and 630 mm, respectively. Moreover, the plasma

flame generated by SSPA reached past the quartz tube. The graph in Fig. 2 depicts the

comparison between the length of the plasma flame and plasma power generated by the

magnetron (black squares) and SSPA (red circles) at 50 lpm swirl air. The length of plasma

flames was measured from the top flange of the resonator. The plasma flames generated by the

magnetron and SSPA at 1.7 kW power and 50 lpm swirl air had similar lengths of 230 mm and

240 mm, respectively. However, as applied power increased, the plasma flame of SSPA

elongated at a faster rate than that of the magnetron, resulting in an approximately 30% longer

flame with identical parameters of 3.3 kW power with 50 lpm swirl air.

Figure 3 depicts the spectral analysis of frequency data obtained with the frequency

analyzer shown in Fig. 1. Frequency variation was measured in terms of the change in power

change from 10% to 100%. The dominant frequencies of the magnetron and SSPA were 2.4687

GHz and 2.4500 GHz, respectively. Usually, the magnetron has a little wide frequency range

from 2.44 GHz to 2.47 GHz. Also, the average frequency of magnetron is shifted according to

the power change at 2.46 GHz. The resonator quality (Q) factor is used as a measure of energy

efficiency, and a high value is crucial for the application of frequency in selective performance

of microwave energy. For example, microwave transmission through a WR- type rectangular

resonator is designed for matching uniquely at 2.45 GHz. In this context, the deviation from

2.45 GHz and the wide bandwidth for almost 60 MHz, in the magnetron, as shown in Fig. 3,

decreases the resonance efficiency of the WR-type rectangular resonator. The Q factor is
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determined as the ratio of the resonant frequency, f0, and its bandwidth f2 – f1, according to the

following formula:
௙బ ௙బ
ܳൌ ൌ (1)
௙మ ି௙భ ௱௙

The Q factor of the magnetron and the SSPA was obtained by dividing the main resonant

frequency with the difference between the two frequencies at half amplitude of the resonant

frequency. The resonant frequency and bandwidth obtained by the magnetron in Fig. 3 (a) was

2.4687 GHz and 18.3 MHz, respectively. The Q factor calculated using equation (1) is

approximately 135. The resonant frequency and bandwidth obtained with the SSPA in Fig. 3

(b) was 2.4500 GHz and 0.2 MHz, respectively, resulting in a high Q factor of 12250. Thus,

the SSPA Q factor is almost 90 times higher than that of the magnetron, which implies increased

efficiency of the plasma torch flame.

In this study, plasma torch was generated by employing a 2.45 GHz magnetron and

SSPA at atmospheric pressure. In comparison with the magnetron, the SSPA microwave plasma

flame exhibits an almost 30% increase in length based on the WR340 resonator. As an example,

at 3.3 kW power and under injection of 50 lpm swirl air, the obtained flame lengths of the

magnetron and SSPA were 490 mm and 630 mm, respectively. Moreover, the calculated Q

factors of the magnetron and SSPA were approximately 135 and 12250, respectively, indicating

a higher energy efficiency in the SSPA. The WR-type resonator is designed to match only 2.45

GHz, and the efficiency of the magnetron with a bandwidth of almost 60 MHz is lower than

that of the SSPA with a ~1 MHz bandwidth. Thus, the longer SSPA plasma flame was the

consequence of an almost 90 times higher Q factor compared to the magnetron, obtained using

the WR340 resonator. In future research, we aim to measure the density and temperature of

SSPA plasma and compare these results with those of magnetron. Further research on SSPA

plasma is expected to extend the efficiency and lifetime of conventional microwave plasma

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and achieve the stabilization of plasma discharge with unstable gases.

Acknowledgements: This research was funded by government funds as part of the R&D

Program of Plasma Convergence & Fundamental Research through the National Fusion

Research Institute of Korea (NFRI) and partially supported by the Project for 2016 Technology

Upgrade R&D of the Commercialization Promotion Agency for R&D Outcomes (COMPA) by

the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT).

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Figure Captions

Figure 1 (Color online). A picture of the 2.45 GHz microwave generator system with SSPA

with an atmospheric airflow plasma torch.

Figure 2 (Color online). Pictures of (a) magnetron and (b) SSPA microwave generated plasma

flame with 50 lpm swirl air at 3.3 kW plasma power. Graph of plasma flame length with respect

to plasma power.

Figure 3 (Color online). Frequency analysis of (a) magnetron and (b) SSPA in terms of powers

at 10%, 50%, and 100% capacity.

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