Liquid cooled plasma burner

Claim 1

A liquid stabilized plasma burner assembly comprising, in combination, a hollow cylindrical casing including an inner wall and formed from a plurality of casing rings (1-5) arranged in a coaxially aligned relationship, an electrode chamber defined by at least one (1-3) of said casing rings, first circular inserts (29, 30) coaxially arranged in said electrode chamber and spaced from said inner wall of said casing, a bar electrode (8) arranged to be surrounded by said inserts and contacted thereby, means (35, 58) for passing a cooling fluid into said casing and through said spacing between said inserts and said inner wall of said casing, an arc discharge chamber defined by at least one other (4) of said casing rings in axial alignment with said electrode chamber, said at least one casing ring (1-3) defining said electrode chamber and said at least one casing ring (4) defining said arc discharge chamber being detachably joined together, second circular inserts (45-49), including orifice plates (45, 46) and intermediate rings (47, 48, 49) provided with tangential passages (52), coaxially arranged in said arc discharge chamber, said second inserts being held tightly together and spaced from said inner wall of said casing, inlet means (51) for feeding stabilizing liquid into said spacing between said second inserts and said inner wall of said casing, outlet means (57) for passing said stabilizing liquid out from said spacing, said second inserts including two inserts (47, 49) which are associated each with one face of said at least one ring (4) defining said arc discharge chamber and which are centrally and detachably mounted upon said ring, a pair of annular steps (20, 26) formed in opposite faces of said at least one casing ring (4) defining said arc discharge chamber, and at least two retaining rings (27, 19) seated one each in said annular steps (20-26) to mount thereon said inserts (47, 49) associated with said at least one ring (4) defining said arc discharge chamber, with at least one other (48, 46) of said second inserts being coaxially held between said two inserts (47, 49) associated with said at least one ring (4) defining said arc discharge chamber.