Effects of geometry and position of the metal delivery tube on ultrasonic gas atomization

Abstract

The effects of the geometry and the position of the metal delivery tube on the pressure condition in the gas-metal interaction zone were studied. The measurements were performed under conditions which simulated ultrasonic gas atomization experiments, but at low gas atomization pressures (50–200 psig, 345–1380 kPa). Low gas atomization pressures are used in spray atomization and deposition processes such as liquid dynamic compaction (LDC), and Osprey. Depending on the experimental conditions, either underpressure or overpressure in the metal delivery tube was detected. The magnitude of the underpressures and overpressures was found to increase with the gas atomization pressure; the maximum pressure differences with respect to the atomization tank pressure were about 3 psi (21 kPa) when argon was used as an atomization gas with a pressure of 200 psig (1380 kPa). Underpressure or overpressure effects of such magnitude have a large effect on the metal flow rate during gas atomization. The large pressure differences measured in the present work result from using an atomizer with gas jet diameters larger than those used in previous investigations. Using a large ultrasonic atomizer, argon gas flow rates of about 5 kg/min can be obtained for atomization pressures of 200 psig (1380 kPa).