Effect of Erosion on Surface Roughness and Hydromechanical Characteristics of Abrasive-Jet Machining

Abstract

The article contains the fundamental results of the experimental and numerical investigations for pneumo-abrasive unit nozzles with different geometries. The research was purposed by the pressing need to develop an inexpensive and effective working nozzle design of the air-abrasive unit which can be applied for surface processing before some technological processes are performed, as well as for surface coating, descaling after thermal treatment, processing of hollow holes of the crankshafts, smoothing of the inner surfaces of the narrow channels between the impeller blades after electric discharge machining for ultrahigh-pressure combination compressors. Several designs were considered, ranging from the simplest to those with a complicated inner channel geometry. The impact of the nozzle material and challenging inner surface application on its characteristics has also been studied. The research was done using the application of modern CFD complexes for numerical modeling of the air-abrasive mixture discharge from the working nozzle of the pneumo-abrasive unit. In addition, physical experimentation was provided. The methods applied in the research allow for profound, systematic research of spraying units operating on the air-abrasive mixture within a wide range of geometrical and mode parameters. The novelty of the gained results lies in the development of the mathematical model of the pneumo-abrasive nozzle operating process, the working out of a cheaper nozzle design, getting information about air-abrasive mixture distribution along the nozzle length, giving practical recommendations for calculation and designing a working nozzle for the jet-abrasive unit.