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Abstract
High pressure gas atomization is emerging as an efficient method of producing high yields of ultrafine metal and alloy powders.
The results of a numerical study of the gas-only flow field of a high pressure, confined feed, annular jet gas-metal atomizer are
compared with experimental data and are reported in this paper. The axisymmetric, turbulent, compressible Navier-Stokes
equations are solved for the gas-only flow in the vicinity of the melt tip. A parametric variation of gas atomizing pressure and
its effect on gas flow field is examined. The numerical results demonstrate the existence of a strong recirculation region, mixing
layer, and shock structures downstream of the melt tip in good agreement with experimental observations and past studies. The
paper focuses on the characterization of the flow field, including a comparison of numerical and experimental data and how the
results support a droplet formation mechanism over a range of atomizing pressures.
Keywords: Gas atomization; Numerical simulation
1. Introduction
The objective of this paper is to report on a numerical study to characterize the gas flow behavior of the
HPGA process in an effort to understand the contribution of the high velocity compressible gas flow to the
molten metal droplet formation mechanism, and to give
insight into the correlation between atomization conditions, such as gas atomizing pressure, and the gas flow
patterns in the near-tip region. By understanding the
process dynamics and with a knowledge of this flow
behavior, the information may be useful for the intelligent control of HPGA through prediction of some of
the most important parameters of the atomization processes and real-time modification of the atomization
parameters.
INOZZLE CENTERLINE
i"
i
1.93 mm
21
deliver a molten metal stream during actual gas atomization process, which is blocked in this study.
Based on the assumptions of steady state, axisymmetric, compressible, and turbulent flow, the conservation
equations for the present problem are presented in
terms of the continuity, momentum, and energy equations:
continuity equation,
~(pu,)
c?x,
-0
(1)
momentum equation,
~7,,
8s
energy equation,
a(puh )
t~.,.,
c:.,.
a(
,,,
a/
,,,
(2)
ah \
Gt
i
l
0'
'i,d 4 5 . ,
'
" I "'
I
Fig. I. The H P G A nozzle geometry.
(4)
22
O
Z
(0.01 Win) 2
kin --
'
fin =
t.'~33.';421./~"
, ~i,,,
L
(5)
,.<
23
/ t-
...........\
-\
e~
<
os
1.5
2s
3.5
STAGNATIONPRESSURE(MPA)
Fig. 4. HPGA gas flow maximum Math number.
4,s
24
0.8
0.7
~
0.6
05
<
04
~- 0.3
< 0.2
0.1
05
,.5
2'5
3'5
,5
8t
1.6
[,(~
1.4
.d 1.2
~ 0.8
~ 11.6
e~
0.4
0.2
O0
0'.5
,15
215
315
415
25
6,".
0.04
O. 06
0.08
O. 20
O. 22
0.
~.4
Fig. 7. H P G A gas flow non-dimensional turbulent kinetic energy contours at the stagnation pressure of 4 MPa.
!-!"<!"ki
1.3
!7
2.1
2.5
2.9
3.a
4
.
4.b
Fig. 8. H P G A gas flow Mach number contours at thc stagnation pressure of 4 MPa.
Because of this, the experimental pressure value measured at the regulator will be higher than the stagnation
pressure within the gas manifold and will depend on the
plumbing and delivery system used. Hence, displacement of the data is expected. Therefore, and primarily
because of this uncertainty, it is difficult to establish an
exact comparison based on the stagnation pressures.
Also, a contributor to any discrepancy between the
numerical results and the experimental data to which
they are being compared can be the increased mass flow
rate that resulted from using the width of the gas
26
3.0
N O R M A L SHOCK~
n
t.t.I 2.0
Z
"r
L)
<
1.0
0.0
0.0
2.0
4.0
6.0
for an in situ controller [4-8,12]. Calculated base pressures for three stagnation pressures, shown in Fig. 12,
are consistent with limited measurement results of 12
MPa [15]. Here, the radial distance from the center
along the melt tip base is normalized by the melt tip
base radius. The base pressure is a maximum near the
center where the flow divides and turns radially outward along the base. Moving outwards from the center,
the base pressure decreases. At a lower stagnation
pressure of 0.5 MPa, near the center the base pressure
is above atmospheric pressure, while away from the
center the pressure becomes subambient. For a median
stagnation pressure of 1.67 MPa, the whole melt tip
base experiences a subambient pressure. At a higheer
stagnation pressure 5 MPa, the pressure at the center
portion of the melt tip base increases to above atmospheric conditions, while a larger outer portion of the
base develops subambient pressures. At all operating
pressures, a radial pressure gradient is set up that will
1-
v -
NUMERICAL
18~
16:-
14~
~1,5
,-1
~1o
05[
00
L
2
i
4
i
8
i
8
I0
1
12
I
-----
5[ .
27
X - - 0.5 MPA
[
+ - - 1.67 MPA
[
* - - 5 MPA
]
O-- MEASUREDI
t
(12 MPA)
~,
:<
t.~
,.v
~+++++'~+*++,++++
,
,.
0.5
+++~++++,++.++,
I
EXPERIMENTAL
o;0
10
02
03
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
09
D I M E N S I O N L E S S R A D I A L DISTANCE
Fig. 12. C a l c u l a t e d a n d m e a s u r e d b a s e p r e s s u r e a l o n g the melt tip
base.
045
O
0.4
0.35
7~
0.3
0.25
0.2
Z
~
0.15
~l:
0.1
0.05
0.1
0.15
0.2
0.25
0.3
0.35
0.4
0.45
0.5
O V E R A L L P R E S S U R E RATIO
Fig. 13. C a l c u l a t e d b a s e c e n t e r p r e s s u r e r a t i o vs. o v e r a l l p r e s s u r e
ratio for HPGA.
28
-~
Atomized
Spray
iihdi
1
_L
6.Tmm
6.4ram --~
~--
5.
6.
7.
8.
Fig. 15. High speed cinematograph of actual gas atomization process. Reprinted from Anderson and Figliola [12].
rapidly growing instabilities brought on by the interaction from the high speed gas.
To illustrate how the gas-only flow field plays a
relevant role in the actual process, consider the high
speed film frames taken from the atomization of 2 kg
charge of Cu-2wt.%Zr using the HPGA nozzle described [12]. The sequence, as shown in Fig. 15, was
recorded on 16 mm film at a nominal rate of 10 000
frames s ~ using 2000 W incandescent diffuse backlighting. In the sequence shown, the atomizer is aligned
with the gravity vector so the main flow is downwards.
The melt enters the established flow field and immediately flows radially outwards along the melt tip base. At
the edge of the melt tip the melt turns downwards and
flows along the mixing layer. Soon the recirculation
region is outlined. Break-up can be observed. In the
final frame a high void fraction within the central core
is apparent, indicating that the bulk of the metal mass
flow is along the mixing layer. Even at subsequent
frames well into the atomization run this overall flow
field persists. While shock structures will not show up
with this method, the overall structures of the flow field
are precisely consistent with the numerical predictions
of the gas-only flow field.
4. Conclusion
J. Mi et al.
References
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29
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