Influence of the Volume of a Cylindrical Discharge Chamber with Rigid Walls on the Pressure Field in the Water Filling It

The volume of the discharge chamber has a great influence on the pressure field in the water filling it and on the efficiency of many technological processes; therefore, the study of the relationship between the volume of the chamber and the pressure in it is an urgent task. However, at present, the role of the volume of the discharge chamber in the formation of the pressure field in it has been insufficiently studied. The purpose of this work is to fill the gap. The study was carried out on the basis of a previously developed mathematical model of an electric discharge in water, the adequacy of which was substantiated via a comparison of the simulation results with experimental data. It is determined that the closed volume of the discharge chamber with rigid walls significantly affects the formation of the pressure field in the water filling it. In this case, the interaction of waves reflected from the walls of the discharge chamber with the surface of the discharge channel in water and the vapor-gas cavity is of decisive importance. The reflected waves determine the period and amplitude of the pulsation of the discharge channel and the vapor-gas cavity, thereby influencing the electrical characteristics of the discharge. This influence increases with decreasing the chamber volume.