Stable and axi-symmetrical DC high-intensity transferred arcs with a coaxial water-cooled constrictor tube have been used to study the arc characteristics for many years. All theprevious modeling studies concerning the high-intensity transferred arcs were restricted to thenear-anode region. Modeling results are presented in this paper concerning the characteristicsof the whole high-intensity transferred arc, referring to a recent experiment. It is shown thatthe computed flow and temperature fields for different flow rates of the working gas are overallsimilar, but a fully developed flow regime can only be achieved in the water-cooled constrictor tubeat low working-gas flow rates. The predicted radial profiles of plasma temperature at the crosssection near the constrictor-tube exit compare favorably with available experimental data, butcorresponding comparison about the plasma axial-velocity profiles shows appreciable difference,revealing that there may exist considerable errors in the plasma velocity measurements using asweeping Pitot tube.
