Assessment of flow aggressiveness and erosion damage topography for different gap widths in ultrasonic cavitation testing

Abstract

Incubation time and erosion rate of C15 steel (SAE 1016) are measured in a cavitation test-rig utilizing an ultrasonic horn. The gap width (separation distance) between horn tip and stationary sample is varied and effects on material damage are studied. Cavitation erosion shows a local maximum for a gap width of 0.5 mm at the stationary specimen, while it continuously rises on the horn tip with rising gap width. A characteristic erosion pattern develops at horn tip and stationary specimen. By a-posteriori surface erosion topography measurements, radial erosion depth profiles are evaluated. Together with scanning electron microscopy investigations, they provide information on the spatial distribution of the flow aggressiveness and on wear mechanisms. By means of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) results, the local surface erosion topography is associated to harmonic and subharmonic collapse events within the gap. Pressure measurements have been performed by piezoelectric polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) sensors, mounted in central as well as eccentric position on the specimen surface. A local mean of the erosion depth profile is evaluated on the surface portion that corresponds to the PVDF sensor locations. By temporally high-resolved pressure data, a cumulative force load is evaluated. For larger gap width, a good correlation of cumulative force load with the inverse incubation time, erosion rate, as well as mean erosion depth is obtained, while for the smallest gap width of 0.3 mm, the correlation deteriorates.