Downstream damped heat loss reducing electric arc gas heaters for wind tunnels

Claim 1

ARC HEATER APPARATUS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, MEANS FORMING AN ARC CHAMBER FOR GAS TO BE HEATED, THE CHAMBER FORMING MEANS BEING COMPOSED OF A NON-MAGNETIC MATERIAL, AN ANNULAR ELECTRODE MOUNTED IN THE CHAMBER AND INSULATED FROM THE WALL THEREOF, A STEM ELECTRODE MOUNTED IN THE CHAMBER COAXIALLY WITH THE ANNULAR ELECTRODE, MAGNETIC FIELD PRODUCING MEANS DISPOSED OUTSIDE THE CHAMBER FORMING MEANS AND PRODUCING A MAGNETIC FIELD IN THE CHAMBER TRANSVERSE TO THE ARC PATH BETWEEN THE STEM ELECTRODE AND THE ANNULAR ELECTRODE WHICH CAUSES THE ARC TO MOVE SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUALLY AROUND THE ANNULAR ELECTRODE, THE END OF THE STEM ELECTRODE NOT EXTENDING AXIALLY TOWARD THE EXHAUST MEANS A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE BEYOND THE ARC PATH, EXHAUST MEANS FOR THE CHAMBER INCLUDING A CALMING SECTION, AND BAFFLE MEANS DISPOSED IN THE CALMING SECTION NEAR THE ARC PATH, THE BAFFLE MEANS INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF SPACED BAFFLES FOR DAMPING TURBULENCE IN THE GAS PASSING THROUGH THE CALMING SECTION AND REDUCING THE HEAT LOST TO THE WALL OF THE CALMING SECTION.