Simulation of Chaotic Particle Motion in Particle-Laden Jetflow and Application to Abrasive Waterjet Machining

Abstract

A novel method is presented for modeling the abrasive waterjet machining process. Particle motion on the cross section of particle-laden jetflow is simulated in order to quantify the erosion contributions of millions of particles having different kinematic behaviors. The simulation is performed using fractal point sets with chaotic behavior for the cases of circular and noncircular (elliptical, triangular) jets. The jetflow constructed can be endowed with any desired velocity profile and/or particle flowrate. In association with a classical constitutive equation for estimating the penetration ability of a particle, the drilling and cutting operations are simulated and verified by experiment for titanium, glass, and other materials. Roughness and waviness of the cutting surfaces are also simulated and there is good consistency between theory and experiment. Triangular and elliptical jetflows are utilized to explore potential applications of noncircular abrasive waterjets.