Abstract
Plasma generators are frequently used in a wide field of applications. These applications include thermal coating, plasma-welding, preprocessing of surfaces, sterilization and propulsion systems. The industrial use of plasma generators demands a high level of accuracy and reproducibility which has to be monitored throughout the process. Rather than analyzing results of e.g. a coating process (by electron microscopic) one prefers to have an online assessment of the plasma generator. The plasma generated is defined by various parameters (e.g., temperature, conductivity) which can be measured with suitable measuring systems. Determining all plasma parameters in one setup is very costly and requires a big setup. In industrial facilities it is often suitable to measure one or two physical quantities and derive the plasma parameters from these measurements. This paper focuses on the evaluation of the electric current consumed by the plasma generator and the sound emitted by the whole system. A quick analyzation of these signals - that may result in an online assessment -was accomplished by using the wavelet transform. Multiple experiments were performed to gain reliable and significant data (behavior of the arc/plasma).
