Analysis of the Erosivity of High-Pressure Pulsating Water Jets Produced in the Self-Excited Drill Head

Materials (Basel). 2021 Jul 27;14(15):4165. doi: 10.3390/ma14154165.

Abstract

The dynamic impact of a water jet with a periodically changing structure can be used in various industries. The paper presents a design solution for a self-excited pulse head. This head can be used in mining for drilling holes and breaking rocks. The design of the head was developed based on computer simulations, which made it possible to learn the mechanism of impulse shaping inside the head. Tests of the water jet produced in the self-excited pulsation head showed the occurrence of periodic changes in its internal structure and pulsation frequency. A significant increase in the dynamic stream pressures was demonstrated for the head working in the water environment compared to the head working in the air environment For example, for nominal medium and highest pressures, this increase is up to 82%, while for the lowest pressures (10 MPa), the pressure force values increase by 46%. It was found that an increase in the nominal water pressure causes a decrease in the frequency of hydrodynamic pulses in the head operating in both the water and air environment.

Keywords: FEM; hydro jetting-erosion; pulsed water jet; self-excited pulsating head; simulations; water jet.