Final answer:
Plasma Arc cutting operates with electric arcs, utilizing high voltage to ionize gas and create plasma, which then conducts electricity to cut through metal. The pinch effect focuses the electric current, enhancing the cutting capability. Tokamaks are examples of devices that use magnetic fields to confine and maintain plasma for such processes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Plasma Arc cutting works with a type of current known as electric arcs, which are formed when a high voltage is applied between two points in a gas, ionizing it and creating plasma. This process generates an intense heat source capable of cutting metal. In a plasma cutter, the current driven through a narrow nozzle allows an electrical arc to form between an electrode and the metal. When the gas is ionized under high voltage, it becomes plasma that conducts electricity and cuts through the metal.
The force that allows for this efficient cutting is called the pinch effect. It occurs in an electric arc where the currents moving parallel to each other are attracted, squeezing the current into a smaller tube, thus concentrating it and increasing its cutting power. This force is used in both large industrial applications, such as circuit breakers, and in precision applications like plasma arc cutting or surgical procedures using high-frequency AC.
The plasma required for this cutting process can be generated in several ways, but one common method is through the use of tools like tokamaks, which confine plasma using strong magnetic fields to maintain high temperatures, essential for the ionization process. These principles of plasma being difficult to control outside of magnetic fields are part of what makes plasma cutting so effective.