Simulação computacional do escoamento em bombas de cavidades progressivas

The use of Progressing Cavity Pumps (PCPs) in artificial lift applications in low deep wells is becoming more common in the oil industry, mainly, due to its ability to pump heavy oils, produce oil with large concentrations of sand, besides present high efficiency when compared to other artificial lift methods. Although this system has been widely used as an oil lift method, few investigations about its hydrodynamic behavior are presented, either experimental or numeric. Therefore, in order to increase the knowledge about the BCP operational behavior, this work presents a novel computational model for the 3-D transient flow in progressing cavity pumps, which includes the relative motion between rotor and stator, using an element based finite volume method. The model developed is able to accurately predict the volumetric efficiency and viscous looses as well as to provide detailed information of pressure and velocity fields inside the pump. In order to predict PCP performance for low viscosity fluids, advanced turbulence models were used to treat, accurately, the turbulent effects on the flow, which allowed for obtaining results consistent with experimental values encountered in literature. In addition to the 3D computational model, a simplified model was developed, based on mass balance within cavities and on simplification on the momentum equations for fully developed flow along the seal region between cavities. This simplified model, based on previous approaches encountered in literature, has the ability to predict flow rate for a given differential pressure, presenting exactness and low CPU requirements, becoming an engineering tool for quick calculations and providing adequate results, almost real-time time. The results presented in this work consider a rigid stator PCP and the models developed were validated against experimental results from open literature. The results for the 3-D model showed to be sensitive to the mesh size, such that a numerical mesh refinement study is also presented. Regarding to the simplified model, some improvements were introduced in the calculation of the friction factor, allowing the application fo the model for low viscosity fluids, which was unsuccessful in models using similar approaches, presented in previous works

Simulação computacional da interação fluido-estrutura em bombas de cavidades progressivas

The pumping through progressing cavities system has been more and more employed in the petroleum industry. This occurs because of its capacity of elevation of highly viscous oils or fluids with great concentration of sand or other solid particles. A Progressing Cavity Pump (PCP) consists, basically, of a rotor - a metallic device similar to an eccentric screw, and a stator - a steel tube internally covered by a double helix, which may be rigid or deformable/elastomeric. In general, it is submitted to a combination of well pressure with the pressure generated by the pumping process itself. In elastomeric PCPs, this combined effort compresses the stator and generates, or enlarges, the clearance existing between the rotor and the stator, thus reducing the closing effect between their cavities. Such opening of the sealing region produces what is known as fluid slip or slippage, reducing the efficiency of the PCP pumping system. Therefore, this research aims to develop a transient three-dimensional computational model that, based on single-lobe PCP kinematics, is able to simulate the fluid-structure interaction that occurs in the interior of metallic and elastomeric PCPs. The main goal is to evaluate the dynamic characteristics of PCP s efficiency based on detailed and instantaneous information of velocity, pressure and deformation fields in their interior. To reach these goals (development and use of the model), it was also necessary the development of a methodology for generation of dynamic, mobile and deformable, computational meshes representing fluid and structural regions of a PCP. This additional intermediary step has been characterized as the biggest challenge for the elaboration and running of the computational model due to the complex kinematic and critical geometry of this type of pump (different helix angles between rotor and stator as well as large length scale aspect ratios). The processes of dynamic generation of meshes and of simultaneous evaluation of the deformations suffered by the elastomer are fulfilled through subroutines written in Fortan 90 language that dynamically interact with the CFX/ANSYS fluid dynamic software. Since a structural elastic linear model is employed to evaluate elastomer deformations, it is not necessary to use any CAE package for structural analysis. However, an initial proposal for dynamic simulation using hyperelastic models through ANSYS software is also presented in this research. Validation of the results produced with the present methodology (mesh generation, flow simulation in metallic PCPs and simulation of fluid-structure interaction in elastomeric PCPs) is obtained through comparison with experimental results reported by the literature. It is expected that the development and application of such a computational model may provide better details of the dynamics of the flow within metallic and elastomeric PCPs, so that better control systems may be implemented in the artificial elevation area by PCP

Simulação do escoamento multifásico no interior de bombas de cavidades progressivas metálicas

The progressing cavity pumping (PCP) is one of the most applied oil lift methods nowadays in oil extraction due to its ability to pump heavy and high gas fraction flows. The computational modeling of PCPs appears as a tool to help experiments with the pump and therefore, obtain precisely the pump operational variables, contributing to pump s project and field operation otimization in the respectively situation. A computational model for multiphase flow inside a metallic stator PCP which consider the relative motion between rotor and stator was developed in the present work. In such model, the gas-liquid bubbly flow pattern was considered, which is a very common situation in practice. The Eulerian-Eulerian approach, considering the homogeneous and inhomogeneous models, was employed and gas was treated taking into account an ideal gas state. The effects of the different gas volume fractions in pump volumetric eficiency, pressure distribution, power, slippage flow rate and volumetric flow rate were analyzed. The results shown that the developed model is capable of reproducing pump dynamic behaviour under the multiphase flow conditions early performed in experimental works

Construção, caracterização e aplicação de eletrodos para descarga por arco de cátodo oco

The system built to characterize electrodes and, consequently, deposited fine films are constituted by a hollow cathode that works to discharges and low pressures (approximately 10-3 to 5 mbar), a source DC (0 to 1200 V), a cylindrical camera of closed borossilicato for flanges of stainless steel with an association of vacuum bombs mechanical and spread. In the upper flange it is connected the system of hollow cathode, which possesses an entrance of gas and two entrances for its refrigeration, the same is electrically isolated of the rest of the equipment and it is polarized negatively. In front of the system of hollow cathode there is a movable sample in stainless steel with possibility of moving in the horizontal and vertical. In the vertical, the sample can vary its distance between 0 and 70 mm and, in the horizontal, can leave completely from the front of the hollow cathode. The sample and also the cathode hollow are equipped with cromel-alumel termopares with simultaneous reading of the temperatures during the time of treatment. In this work copper electrodes, bronze, titanium, iron, stainless steel, powder of titanium, powder of titanium and silício, glass and ceramic were used. The electrodes were investigated relating their geometry change and behavior of the plasma of the cavity of hollow cathode and channel of the gas. As the cavity of hollow cathode, the analyzed aspects were the diameter and depth. With the channel of the gas, we verified the diameter. In the two situations, we investigated parameters as flow of the gas, pressure, current and applied tension in the electrode, temperature, loss of mass of the electrode with relationship at the time of use. The flow of gas investigated in the electrodes it was fastened in a work strip from 15 to 6 sccm, the constant pressure of work was among 2.7 to 8 x 10-2 mbar. The applied current was among a strip of work from 0,8 to 0,4 A, and their respective tensions were in a strip from 400 to 220 V. Fixing the value of the current, it was possible to lift the curve of the behavior of the tension with the time of use. That curves esteem in that time of use of the electrode to its efficiency is maximum. The temperatures of the electrodes were in the dependence of that curves showing a maximum temperature when the tension was maximum, yet the measured temperatures in the samples showed to be sensitive the variation of the temperature in the electrodes. An accompaniment of the loss of mass of the electrode relating to its time of use showed that the electrodes that appeared the spherical cavities lost more mass in comparison with the electrodes in that didn't appear. That phenomenon is only seen for pressures of 10-2 mbar, in these conditions a plasma column is formed inside of the channel of the gas and in certain points it is concentrated in form of spheres. Those spherical cavities develop inside of the channel of the gas spreading during the whole extension of the channel of the gas. The used electrodes were cut after they could not be more used, however among those electrodes, films that were deposited in alternate times and the electrodes that were used to deposit films in same times, those films were deposited in the glass substrata, alumina, stainless steel 420, stainless steel 316, silício and steel M2. As the eletros used to deposit films in alternate time as the ones that they were used to deposit in same times, the behavior of the thickness of the film obeyed the curve of the tension with relationship the time of use of the electrode, that is, when the tension was maximum, the thickness of the film was also maximum and when the tension was minimum, the thickness was minimum and in the case where the value of the tension was constant, the thickness of the film tends to be constant. The fine films that were produced they had applications with nano stick, bio-compatibility, cellular growth, inhibition of bacterias, cut tool, metallic leagues, brasagem, pineapple fiber and ornamental. In those films it was investigated the thickness, the adherence and the uniformity characterized by sweeping electronic microscopy. Another technique developed to assist the production and characterization of the films produced in that work was the caloteste. It uses a sphere and abrasive to mark the sample with a cap impression, with that cap form it is possible to calculate the thickness of the film. Through the time of life of the cathode, it was possible to evaluate the rate of waste of its material for the different work conditions. Values of waste rate up to 3,2 x 10-6 g/s were verified. For a distance of the substratum of 11 mm, the deposited film was limited to a circular area of 22 mm diameter mm for high pressures and a circular area of 75 mm for pressure strip. The obtained films presented thickness around 2,1 µm, showing that the discharge of arch of hollow cathode in argon obeys a curve characteristic of the tension with the time of life of the eletrodo. The deposition rate obtained in this system it is of approximately 0,18 µm/min

Sistema inteligente para apoio à decisão na operação de uma malha de escoamento de petróleo

The petroleum production pipeline networks are inherently complex, usually decentralized systems. Strict operational constraints are applied in order to prevent serious problems like environmental disasters or production losses. This paper describes an intelligent system to support decisions in the operation of these networks, proposing a staggering for the pumps of transfer stations that compose them. The intelligent system is formed by blocks which interconnect to process the information and generate the suggestions to the operator. The main block of the system uses fuzzy logic to provide a control based on rules, which incorporate knowledge from experts. Tests performed in the simulation environment provided good results, indicating the applicability of the system in a real oil production environment. The use of the stagger proposed by the system allows a prioritization of the transfer in the network and a flow programming

Simulação do escoamento monofásico em um estágio de uma bomba centrífuga utilizando técnicas de fluidodinâmica computacional

Oil production and exploration techniques have evolved in the last decades in order to increase fluid flows and optimize how the required equipment are used. The base functioning of Electric Submersible Pumping (ESP) lift method is the use of an electric downhole motor to move a centrifugal pump and transport the fluids to the surface. The Electric Submersible Pumping is an option that has been gaining ground among the methods of Artificial Lift due to the ability to handle a large flow of liquid in onshore and offshore environments. The performance of a well equipped with ESP systems is intrinsically related to the centrifugal pump operation. It is the pump that has the function to turn the motor power into Head. In this present work, a computer model to analyze the three-dimensional flow in a centrifugal pump used in Electric Submersible Pumping has been developed. Through the commercial program, ANSYS® CFX®, initially using water as fluid flow, the geometry and simulation parameters have been defined in order to obtain an approximation of what occurs inside the channels of the impeller and diffuser pump in terms of flow. Three different geometry conditions were initially tested to determine which is most suitable to solving the problem. After choosing the most appropriate geometry, three mesh conditions were analyzed and the obtained values were compared to the experimental characteristic curve of Head provided by the manufacturer. The results have approached the experimental curve, the simulation time and the model convergence were satisfactory if it is considered that the studied problem involves numerical analysis. After the tests with water, oil was used in the simulations. The results were compared to a methodology used in the petroleum industry to correct viscosity. In general, for models with water and oil, the results with single-phase fluids were coherent with the experimental curves and, through three-dimensional computer models, they are a preliminary evaluation for the analysis of the two-phase flow inside the channels of centrifugal pump used in ESP systems

Controle aplicado a poços com método de elevação e bombeio centrífugo submerso

The Electrical Submersible Pumping is an artificial lift method for oil wells employed in onshore and offshore areas. The economic revenue of the petroleum production in a well depends on the oil flow and the availability of lifting equipment. The fewer the failures, the lower the revenue shortfall and costs to repair it. The frequency with which failures occur depends on the operating conditions to which the pumps are submitted. In high-productivity offshore wells monitoring is done by operators with engineering support 24h/day, which is not economically viable for the land areas. In this context, the automation of onshore wells has clear economic advantages. This work proposes a system capable of automatically control the operation of electrical submersible pumps, installed in oil wells, by an adjustment at the electric motor rotation based on signals provided by sensors installed on the surface and subsurface, keeping the pump operating within the recommended range, closest to the well s potential. Techniques are developed to estimate unmeasured variables, enabling the automation of wells that do not have all the required sensors. The automatic adjustment, according to an algorithm that runs on a programmable logic controller maintains the flow and submergence within acceptable parameters avoiding undesirable operating conditions, as the gas interference and high engine temperature, without need to resort to stopping the engine, which would reduce the its useful life. The control strategy described, based on modeling of physical phenomena and operational experience reported in literature, is materialized in terms of a fuzzy controller based on rules, and all generated information can be accompanied by a supervisory system

Proposta de algoritmo para detecção de vazamentos em oleodutos utilizando análise freqüencial de sinais de pressão

Pipeline leak detection is a matter of great interest for companies who transport petroleum and its derivatives, in face of rising exigencies of environmental policies in industrialized and industrializing countries. However, existing technologies are not yet fully consolidated and many studies have been accomplished in order to achieve better levels of sensitivity and reliability for pipeline leak detection in a wide range of flowing conditions. In this sense, this study presents the results obtained from frequency spectrum analysis of pressure signals from pipelines in several flowing conditions like normal flowing, leakages, pump switching, etc. The results show that is possible to distinguish between the frequency spectra of those different flowing conditions, allowing recognition and announce of liquid pipeline leakages from pressure monitoring. Based upon these results, a pipeline leak detection algorithm employing frequency analysis of pressure signals is proposed, along with a methodology for its tuning and calibration. The proposed algorithm and its tuning methodology are evaluated with data obtained from real leakages accomplished in pipelines transferring crude oil and water, in order to evaluate its sensitivity, reliability and applicability to different flowing conditions

Controle inteligente de pressão para uma rede sem reservatório de abastecimento urbano de água

The sanitation companies from Brazil has a great challenge for the XXI century: seek to mitigate the rate of physical waste (water, chemicals and electricity) and financial waste caused by inefficient operating systems drinking water supply, considering that currently we already face, in some cases, the scarcity of water resources. The supply systems are increasingly complex as they seek to minimize waste and at the same time better serve the growing number of users. However, this technological change is to reduce the complexity of the challenges posed by the need to include users with higher quality and efficiency in services. A major challenge for companies of water supplies is to provide a good quality service contemplating reducing expenditure on electricity. In this situation we developed a research by a method that seeks to control the pressure of the distribution systems that do not have the tank in your setup and the water comes out of the well directly to the distribution system. The method of pressure control (intelligent control) uses fuzzy logic to eliminate the waste of electricity and the leaks from the production of pumps that inject directly into the distribution system, which causes waste of energy when the consumption of households is reduced causing the saturation of the distribution system. This study was conducted at Green Club II condominium, located in the city of Parnamirim, state of Rio Grande do Norte, in order to study the pressure behavior of the output of the pump that injects water directly into the distribution system. The study was only possible because of the need we had to find a solution to some leaks in the existing distribution system and the extensions of the respective condominium residences, which sparked interest in developing a job in order to carry out the experiments contained in this research

Propriedades Físicas do Semicondutor Bi2Te3

Thermoelectric Refrigerators (TEC Thermoelectric Cooling) are solid-state heat pumps used in applications where stabilization of temperature cycles or cooling below the room temperature are required. TEC are based on thermoelectric devices, and these in turn, are based on the Peltier effect, which is the production of a difference in temperature when an electric current is applied to a junction formed by two non-similar materials. This is one of the three thermoelectric effects and is a typical semiconductor junction phenomenon. The thermoelectric efficiency, known as Z thermoelectric or merit figure is a parameter that measures the quality of a thermoelectric device. It depends directly on electrical conductivity and inversely on the thermal conductivity. Therefore, good thermoelectric devices have typically high values of electrical conductivity and low values of thermal conductivity. One of the most common materials in the composition of thermoelectric devices is the semiconductor bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) and its alloys. Peltier plates made up by crystals of semiconductor P-type and N-type are commercially available for various applications in thermoelectric systems. In this work, we characterize the electrical properties of bismuth telluride through conductivity/resistivity of the material, and X-rays power diffraction and magnetoresistance measurements. The results were compared with values taken from specific literature. Moreover, two techniques of material preparation, and applications in refrigerators, are discussed

Efeito Peltier em estruturas semicondutoras quasiperiódicas

There is nowadays a growing demand for located cooling and stabilization in optical and electronic devices, haul of portable systems of cooling that they allow a larger independence in several activities. The modules of thermoelectrical cooling are bombs of heat that use efect Peltier, that consists of the production of a temperature gradient when an electric current is applied to a thermoelectrical pair formed by two diferent drivers. That efect is part of a class of thermoelectrical efcts that it is typical of junctions among electric drivers. The modules are manufactured with semiconductors. The used is the bismuth telluride Bi2Te3, arranged in a periodic sequence. In this sense the idea appeared of doing an analysis of a system that obeys the sequence of Fibonacci. The sequence of Fibonacci has connections with the golden proportion, could be found in the reproductive study of the bees, in the behavior of the light and of the atoms, as well as in the growth of plants and in the study of galaxies, among many other applications. An apparatus unidimensional was set up with the objective of investigating the thermal behavior of a module that obeys it a rule of growth of the type Fibonacci. The results demonstrate that the modules that possess periodic arrangement are more eficient

Avaliação microscópica dos fragmentos ósseos obtidos por diferentes métodos de osteotomia e de irrigação em aloenxertos irradiados e congelados de coelho

Oral and facial bone defects can undertake appearance, psychosocial well-being and stomathognatic function of its patients. Over the yerars several strategies for bone defect regeneration have arised to treat these pathologies, among them the use of frozen and irradiated bone allograft. Manipulation of bone grafts it s not determined yet, and several osteotomy alternatives can be observed. The present work evaluated with a microscope the bone fragments obtained from different osteotomy methods and irrigation on rings and blocks allografts irradiated and frozen at 80° negative in a rabbit model. The study is experimental in vitro and it sample was an adult male New Zealand rabbit. The animal was sacrificed to obtain long bones, that were submitted to freezing at 80º negative and irradiated with Cobalt- 60. Then the long bones were sectioned into 24 bone pieces, divided into 4 groups: G1 (n=06) osteotomy was performed with bur No. 6 forming rings with 5 mm thickness with high-speed handpiece with manual irrigation; G2 (n=06) osteotomy was performed with bur No. 6 forming rings with 5 mm thick with surgical motor with a manual irrigation rotation 1500 rpm; GA (n=06), osteotomy with trephine using manual irrigation with saline; and GB (n=06), osteotomy with trephine using saline from peristaltic pumps of surgical motor. Five bone pieces of each group were prepared for analysis on light microscopy (LM) and one on electronic scan electronic microscopy (SEM). On the SEM analysis edges surface, presence of microcracks and Smear Layer were evaluated. Analyzing osteotomy technics on SEM was observed: increased presence of microcracks cutting with high speed; increased presence of areas covered by Smear Layer when cutting with motor implant. The irrigation analysis with SEM was observed: that the presence of microcracks does not depend on the type of irrigation; on manual irrigation, there was greater discrepancy between the cutting lines. The descriptive analysis of the osteotomy and irrigation process on LM showed: histological analysis showing the bony margins with clear tissue changed layer, composed of blackened tissue of charred appearance near to the cortical bone; on the edges of the bony part, bone fragments that were displaced during the bone cut and bone irregularities were observed. After analysis of results we can conclude: that there was greater regularity of the bone cut using high-speed handpiece than using motor implant; the cut with trephine using saline irrigated from peristaltic pumps of surgical motor showed greater homogeneity when compared with manual irrigation; charred tissue was found in all obtained bone samples, whit no significant statistically difference on the proportion of carbonization of the two analysed technics

Estudo da redução de arrasto induzido por polímeros em escoamentos internos turbulentos em dutos

The flows turbulent and laminar are present in various applications of engineering and one of the villain of energy loss big is the surface friction. Currently, there are several research aimed for the study of reducing drag (DR) with the objective of developing effective methods to reduce the friction. Regardless of numerous research carried out until today, the phenomenon DR still remains in study not it is fully understood. This paper studied the drag reduction by polymer induction in turbulent internal flows in ducts. We constructed a testing bench to perform the analysis of drag reduction, the bench has basically two manometers with a 8.5 psi full scale, a peripheral pump 0.5 HP, an acrylic tank, valves and tubes pvc and is situated in the Laboratory Fluid Mechanics UFRN. Were used as polymer additives to polyethylene glycol 4000, the Polyox WSR N60K, Polyox WSR 301 and Polyox WSR 205. The rationale for the choice of these polymers is their wide application in situations requiring greater energy efficiency, such as the addition reducing polymers for the jet used by the fire department to achieve greater distances. The induced drag reduction polymers is investigated from the turbulent flow analysis, with Reynolds number in a range between 2×104

Estudo da redução de arrasto induzido por polímeros em escoamentos internos turbulentos em dutos

The flows turbulent and laminar are present in various applications of engineering and one of the villain of energy loss big is the surface friction. Currently, there are several research aimed for the study of reducing drag (DR) with the objective of developing effective methods to reduce the friction. Regardless of numerous research carried out until today, the phenomenon DR still remains in study not it is fully understood. This paper studied the drag reduction by polymer induction in turbulent internal flows in ducts. We constructed a testing bench to perform the analysis of drag reduction, the bench has basically two manometers with a 8.5 psi full scale, a peripheral pump 0.5 HP, an acrylic tank, valves and tubes pvc and is situated in the Laboratory Fluid Mechanics UFRN. Were used as polymer additives to polyethylene glycol 4000, the Polyox WSR N60K, Polyox WSR 301 and Polyox WSR 205. The rationale for the choice of these polymers is their wide application in situations requiring greater energy efficiency, such as the addition reducing polymers for the jet used by the fire department to achieve greater distances. The induced drag reduction polymers is investigated from the turbulent flow analysis, with Reynolds number in a range between 2×104

Construção, caracterização e aplicação de eletrodos para descarga por arco de cátodo oco

The system built to characterize electrodes and, consequently, deposited fine films are constituted by a hollow cathode that works to discharges and low pressures (approximately 10-3 to 5 mbar), a source DC (0 to 1200 V), a cylindrical camera of closed borossilicato for flanges of stainless steel with an association of vacuum bombs mechanical and spread. In the upper flange it is connected the system of hollow cathode, which possesses an entrance of gas and two entrances for its refrigeration, the same is electrically isolated of the rest of the equipment and it is polarized negatively. In front of the system of hollow cathode there is a movable sample in stainless steel with possibility of moving in the horizontal and vertical. In the vertical, the sample can vary its distance between 0 and 70 mm and, in the horizontal, can leave completely from the front of the hollow cathode. The sample and also the cathode hollow are equipped with cromel-alumel termopares with simultaneous reading of the temperatures during the time of treatment. In this work copper electrodes, bronze, titanium, iron, stainless steel, powder of titanium, powder of titanium and silício, glass and ceramic were used. The electrodes were investigated relating their geometry change and behavior of the plasma of the cavity of hollow cathode and channel of the gas. As the cavity of hollow cathode, the analyzed aspects were the diameter and depth. With the channel of the gas, we verified the diameter. In the two situations, we investigated parameters as flow of the gas, pressure, current and applied tension in the electrode, temperature, loss of mass of the electrode with relationship at the time of use. The flow of gas investigated in the electrodes it was fastened in a work strip from 15 to 6 sccm, the constant pressure of work was among 2.7 to 8 x 10-2 mbar. The applied current was among a strip of work from 0,8 to 0,4 A, and their respective tensions were in a strip from 400 to 220 V. Fixing the value of the current, it was possible to lift the curve of the behavior of the tension with the time of use. That curves esteem in that time of use of the electrode to its efficiency is maximum. The temperatures of the electrodes were in the dependence of that curves showing a maximum temperature when the tension was maximum, yet the measured temperatures in the samples showed to be sensitive the variation of the temperature in the electrodes. An accompaniment of the loss of mass of the electrode relating to its time of use showed that the electrodes that appeared the spherical cavities lost more mass in comparison with the electrodes in that didn't appear. That phenomenon is only seen for pressures of 10-2 mbar, in these conditions a plasma column is formed inside of the channel of the gas and in certain points it is concentrated in form of spheres. Those spherical cavities develop inside of the channel of the gas spreading during the whole extension of the channel of the gas. The used electrodes were cut after they could not be more used, however among those electrodes, films that were deposited in alternate times and the electrodes that were used to deposit films in same times, those films were deposited in the glass substrata, alumina, stainless steel 420, stainless steel 316, silício and steel M2. As the eletros used to deposit films in alternate time as the ones that they were used to deposit in same times, the behavior of the thickness of the film obeyed the curve of the tension with relationship the time of use of the electrode, that is, when the tension was maximum, the thickness of the film was also maximum and when the tension was minimum, the thickness was minimum and in the case where the value of the tension was constant, the thickness of the film tends to be constant. The fine films that were produced they had applications with nano stick, bio-compatibility, cellular growth, inhibition of bacterias, cut tool, metallic leagues, brasagem, pineapple fiber and ornamental. In those films it was investigated the thickness, the adherence and the uniformity characterized by sweeping electronic microscopy. Another technique developed to assist the production and characterization of the films produced in that work was the caloteste. It uses a sphere and abrasive to mark the sample with a cap impression, with that cap form it is possible to calculate the thickness of the film. Through the time of life of the cathode, it was possible to evaluate the rate of waste of its material for the different work conditions. Values of waste rate up to 3,2 x 10-6 g/s were verified. For a distance of the substratum of 11 mm, the deposited film was limited to a circular area of 22 mm diameter mm for high pressures and a circular area of 75 mm for pressure strip. The obtained films presented thickness around 2,1 µm, showing that the discharge of arch of hollow cathode in argon obeys a curve characteristic of the tension with the time of life of the eletrodo. The deposition rate obtained in this system it is of approximately 0,18 µm/min