Arc voltage estimation and use of arc voltage estimation in thermal processing systems

1 . A method of controlling a process parameter of a thermal processing system in which a switch mode power supply provides an arc current to generate a plasma arc between a plasma arc torch tip and a metallic workpiece, the method comprising:

estimating an arc voltage between the plasma arc torch tip and the metallic workpiece; and

controlling a process parameter of the thermal processing system based on the estimated arc voltage.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein controlling the process parameter comprises:

adjusting the height of a plasma arc torch based on the estimated arc voltage.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the switch mode power supply includes an output inductor, the method further comprising:

estimating the arc voltage based on an average voltage applied to the input of the inductor.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein the switch mode power supply includes an output inductor, the method further comprising:

estimating the arc voltage based on the difference between an average voltage applied to the input of the inductor and a voltage drop across the inductor.

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein the switch mode power supply includes an output inductor, the method further comprising:

obtaining a time varying profile of expected variations in arc voltage; and

estimating the arc voltage from a model representing changes in arc current through the inductor, the model based on an average voltage applied to an input of the inductor and the time varying profile of expected variations in the arc voltage.

6 . A method for estimating an arc voltage in a thermal processing system in which a switch mode power supply provides an arc current to generate a plasma arc between a plasma arc torch tip and a metallic workpiece, the method comprising:

obtaining a duty cycle of the switch mode power supply;

obtaining a value representing a dc input voltage of the switch mode power supply; and

estimating the arc voltage between the plasma arc torch tip and the metallic workpiece based on a combination of the duty cycle of the switch mode power supply and the value representing the dc input voltage of the switch mode power supply.

7 . The method of claim 6 further comprising:

calculating the duty cycle of the switch mode power supply based on a ratio of a sampled error signal to a peak value of a carrier wave signal, the sampled error signal comparing a measured value of the arc current to a preset current reference.

8 . The method of claim 6 further comprising:

measuring the value representing the dc input voltage of the switch mode power supply.

9 . The method of claim 6 further comprising:

deriving the value representing the dc input voltage of the switch mode power supply from an ac input voltage.

10 . The method of claim 6 further comprising:

scaling a value representing an input voltage of the switch mode power supply.

11 . A method for estimating an arc voltage in a thermal processing system in which a switch mode power supply including an output inductor provides an arc current to generate a plasma arc between a plasma arc torch tip and a metallic workpiece, the method comprising:

obtaining an average voltage applied to an input of the inductor;

obtaining a value corresponding to a voltage drop across the inductor; and

estimating the arc voltage based on the difference between the average voltage applied and the voltage drop.

12 . The method of claim 11 further comprising:

obtaining a duty cycle of the switch mode power supply;

obtaining a value representing a dc input voltage of the switch mode power supply; and

obtaining the average voltage applied to the input of the inductor based on the product of the duty cycle of the switch mode power supply and the value representing the dc input voltage of the switch mode power supply.

13 . The method of claim 11 further comprising:

obtaining the voltage drop across the inductor based on time varying changes in current through the inductor.

14 . A method for estimating an arc voltage in a thermal processing system in which a switch mode power supply including an output inductor provides an arc current to generate a plasma arc between a plasma arc torch tip and a metallic workpiece, the method comprising:

obtaining a time varying profile of expected variations in arc voltage;

obtaining an average voltage applied to an input of the inductor; and

estimating the arc voltage from a model representing changes in arc current through the inductor, the model based on an average voltage applied to the input of the inductor and the time varying profile of expected variations in the arc voltage.

15 . The method of claim 14 wherein the time varying profile is a mathematical or statistical representation of expected variations in arc voltage;

16 . A system for controlling a process parameter of a thermal processing system, the system comprising:

a switch mode power supply that provides an arc current to generate a plasma arc between a plasma arc torch tip and a metallic workpiece;

an arc voltage estimation module that estimates an arc voltage between the plasma arc torch tip and the metallic workpiece; and

a process controller that controls a process parameter of the thermal processing system based on the estimated arc voltage.

17 . The system of claim 16 wherein the process controller is a torch height controller that adjusts the height of a plasma arc torch based on the estimated arc voltage.

18 . The system of claim 16 wherein the switch mode power supply includes an output inductor and the arc voltage estimation module estimates the arc voltage based on an average voltage applied to the input of the inductor.

19 . The system of claim 16 wherein the arc voltage estimation module estimates the arc voltage based on the difference between an average voltage applied to the input of the inductor and a voltage drop across the inductor.

20 . The system of claim 16 wherein the switch mode power supply includes an output inductor and the arc voltage estimation module estimates the arc voltage from a model representing changes in current through the inductor, the model based on an average voltage applied to an input of the inductor and a time varying profile of expected variations in the arc voltage.

21 . An apparatus that estimates an arc voltage in a thermal processing system in which a switch mode power supply provides an arc current to generate a plasma arc between a plasma arc torch tip and a metallic workpiece, the apparatus comprising:

processing means for obtaining a duty cycle of the switch mode power supply;

processing means for obtaining a value representing a dc input voltage of the switch mode power supply; and

processing means for estimating the arc voltage between a plasma arc torch tip and the metallic workpiece based on a combination of the duty cycle of the switch mode power supply and the value representing the dc input voltage of the switch mode power supply.

22 . An apparatus that estimates an arc voltage in a thermal processing system in which a switch mode power supply including an output inductor provides an arc current to generate a plasma arc between a plasma arc torch tip and a metallic workpiece, the apparatus comprising:

processing means for obtaining an average voltage applied to an input of the inductor;

processing means for obtaining a value corresponding to a voltage drop across the inductor; and

processing means for estimating the arc voltage based on the difference between the average voltage applied and the voltage drop.

23 . An apparatus that estimating an arc voltage in a thermal processing system in which a switch mode power supply including an output inductor provides an arc current to generate a plasma arc between a plasma arc torch tip and a metallic workpiece, the method comprising:

processing means for obtaining a time varying profile of expected variations in arc voltage;

processing means for obtaining an average voltage applied to an input of the inductor; and

processing means for estimating the arc voltage from a model representing changes in arc current through the inductor, the model based on an average voltage applied to the input of the inductor and the time varying profile of expected variations in the arc voltage.

24 . The method of claim 1 wherein the switch mode power supply is based on a boost, buck or buck-boost circuit topology.

25 . The method of claim 6 wherein the switch mode power supply is based on a boost, buck or buck-boost circuit topology.

26 . The method of claim 11 wherein the switch mode power supply is based on a boost, buck or buck-boost circuit topology.

27 . The method of claim 14 wherein the switch mode power supply is based on a boost, buck or buck-boost circuit topology.

28 . The method of claim 6 wherein the combination is one of a summation or product.

29 . The method of claim 21 wherein the combination is one of a summation or product.