Flash Vaporizing Abrasive Jet for Delicate Piercing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Abrasive water jets and slurry jets cause excessive piercing pressure and surface/subsurface damage when drilling into delicate materials due to the incompressibility of the fluid, leading to nonuniform hole diameters and delamination, while existing solutions like abrasive cryogenic jets are bulky, expensive, and hazardous to operate.
Innovation Solution
The system superheats the water in abrasive water jets or slurry jets to cause it to flash into steam after exiting the nozzle, reducing piercing pressure and mimicking the phase-changing characteristics of cryogenic jets, thereby minimizing damage and improving machining efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If abrasive water jet or slurry jet is used for hole drilling, then erosive power and material removal capability are improved, but surface/subsurface damage and delamination occur due to excessive piercing pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies phase transition by heating water to its boiling point or above before jetting, causing it to flash evaporate into steam upon contact with the workpiece. This phase change from liquid to gas dramatically reduces the incompressibility of the jet, thereby reducing piercing pressure and preventing surface/subsurface damage while maintaining erosive capability through the high-velocity steam and abrasive particles
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the temperature parameter of water from ambient to boiling or superheated conditions. This parameter change transforms the physical state of water, reducing its density and incompressibility, which directly addresses the piercing pressure problem while preserving the jet's cutting ability through the combination of steam expansion and abrasive action
2Power
If abrasive slurry jet with direct pumping is used, then erosive power is improved up to five times higher than AWJ, but piercing pressure becomes excessively high due to lack of entrained air
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies phase transition by heating the slurry water to boiling or superheated conditions, causing flash evaporation upon jetting. This transforms the two-phase slurry into a gas-dominated flow with suspended abrasives, dramatically reducing incompressibility and piercing pressure while maintaining the high erosive power achieved through direct pumping of the slurry
3Productivity
If conventional abrasive water jet is used, then material can be cut, but nonuniform hole diameter results from spent abrasives being forced toward cavity wall
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies phase transition by converting liquid water to steam, which fundamentally changes the flow dynamics. The gaseous steam does not create the same pressure buildup that forces abrasives toward the cavity wall, allowing spent abrasives to exit more uniformly and maintain consistent hole diameter throughout the cutting process
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The flash vaporizing abrasive water jet or slurry jet reduces surface/subsurface damage, enhances machining efficiency, and is more portable and cost-effective compared to cryogenic jets, with improved uniformity of hole diameters and reduced operational hazards.
Implementation Method 1
a heater that heats the fluid to a temperature that would produce a gas
Implementation Method 2
the superheated water flashes and changes into steam as soon as the jet exits the mixing tube
Implementation Method 3
the phase changing characteristics of the abrasive cryogenic jet (ACJ) with a flash vaporizing abrasive water jet (AWJ) or abrasive slurry jet (ASJ) (FAWJ/FASJ) by superheating the water
Data Source
AI summary
A flash vaporizing liquid jet cutting tool and method for piercing with minimal damage to the cut material. The liquid is preferably superheated water, typically with abrasive particles added after the jet is expressed through a nozzle (abrasive water jet, AWJ) or with abrasive particles added before the jet is expressed through a nozzle (abrasive slurry jet, ASJ). In piercing, only a portion of water that has not changed phase enters into the cavity or must leave the cavity and the piercing pressure, which can damage the material, is therefore reduced.