Resistance of curved surfaces to the cavitation erosion produced through high-pressure submerged waterjet

Abstract

The aim of the present study is to reveal fundamental cavitation erosion characteristics of the curved surface. The submerged waterjet was used to produce cavitation. An experimental work was performed on a standard cavitation erosion test rig. The Al 5083 specimens with three curvature radii, 7.0, 9.0 and 10.0 mm, were selected as the target specimens. The flat surfaces were tested for comparison. The mass loss of the eroded specimens was measured. The cumulative erosion rate was calculated. Morphology of the eroded surfaces was observed using techniques of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). The root mean square (RMS) surface roughness of the eroded specimen was obtained. The results indicate that the curvature radius has a significant effect on the cavitation erosion intensity. The surface with the largest radius of curvature exhibits the weakest resistance to the cavitation erosion. No explicit relevance is recognized between the curvature radius and the extent of the cavitation erosion. In the early stage of the cavitation erosion, the central region of the target surface is less eroded. As the cavitation erosion progresses, the mass removal in the central area manifests a layer-by-layer pattern. Large erosion pits are evidenced in such a region. The specimen of R = 9.0 mm, with the highest resistance to the cavitation erosion, is featured by a sharp decline of the skewness of surface height distribution in the early stage of the cavitation erosion.