Characteristics of stabilized arc discharge in the presence of a readily ionizing additive

A method based on numerical integration of the energy equation for the case of a purely conductive heat-extraction mechanism is proposed for calculating the voltampere characteristics and radial distribution of the plasma parameters of a stabilized arc discharge. The volt–ampere characteristics and radial distribution of the temperature and conductivity are calculated in the plasma of a stabilized arc discharge in the combustion products of methane with oxygen with and without an admixture of potassium $(1$ mol. $\%)$. It is shown that the presence of potassium influences the volt–ampere characteristics only at small discharge currents, although it leads to considerable redistribution of the energy contribution to the discharge and change in the radial distribution of the temperature and conductivity.