Influence of Radiation Modelling on the Simulation of Wall Stabilized Electrical Arc

To favor aviation decarbonization, hybrid and/or all-electric propulsion solutions are emerging. These solutions need higher electrical power in the MW/kV ranges. Handling such a high power in the complex environment associated with aviation is challenging. Among others, arc appearance is a major drawback. It is, therefore, very important to understand and model the associated physics. This paper proposes a multi-physics simulation of these complex phenomena within a simplified geometry, including radiative heat transfer. The latter is modeled either by using a net emission coefficient (NEC) or line-by-line calculations (LBL). The resolution of electromagnetism equations, based on the finite elements method, and the energy balance equation, based on the finite volume method is carried out using Ansys tools. The numerical setup is validated and the results from the NEC radiative model are compared with LBL results which are validated through comparisons with the experimental data for the wall-stabilized argon arc of Deron et al [Journal of Thermophysics and Heat Transfer, 20(2):211-219, 2006].