Experimental investigation of impact force variations during high-speed liquid impingement erosion

Abstract

High-speed liquid impingement erosion occurs in many industrial settings. The erosion transition, which occurs after the incubation period of liquid impingement erosion, significantly changes the erosion behavior, such as the material erosion rate and surface roughness; however, when and how the transition occurs remains elusive. The study focused on the impact force exerted on a material by a liquid jet impact during the transition in high-speed liquid impingement erosion. To this end, the force acting on an aluminum specimen attached to a force sensor during liquid impingement erosion was examined experimentally. The critical condition, which indicates the beginning of the accumulation stage of erosion, was detected through mass-loss measurements and visual observation of the target material. The results demonstrated a distinctive transition in the impact force with respect to the exposed flow volume. Additionally, a dynamic mode decomposition technique was employed to analyze variations in the impact force. Finally, the mechanism underlying the long-term variation in the impact force was discussed, and the correlation between the impact forces and erosion depths during high-speed liquid impingement erosion was presented.