SBIR Phase I: Development of Porous Lubricated Nozzles for Suppression of Nozzle Wear in Abrasive Water Jet Systems

这个小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目将开发技术，以防止用于机械加工(例如汽车/航空航天部件)的磨料水射流中的喷嘴磨损。喷嘴磨损限制了喷射切割的寿命和精度，目前需要在更大的混合管中将磨料夹带到喷嘴下游。新方法包括喷嘴由多孔材料制成，周围环绕着含有高粘度润滑剂的储油层，并暴露在推动喷嘴中泥浆的压力下。这种方法延长了喷嘴的寿命，并允许在注射之前对颗粒进行预混合(磨料悬浮射流)，从而能够在较低压力下运行，切割较硬的材料和较小的射流(微加工)。小型机械厂将这种多样化的技术用于汽车和飞机行业的商业潜力非常有吸引力。在目前的系统中，喷嘴或混合管的磨损是影响射流切割所有应用的主要问题。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will develop technology to prevent nozzle wear in abrasive water jets used for machining (e.g. automotive/aerospace components). Nozzle wear limits the life and accuracy of jet cutting and currently requires entrainment of abrasives downstream of the nozzle in a larger mixing tube. The new method consists of nozzles made of a porous material surrounded by reservoirs containing high viscosity lubricant, and exposed to the pressure that drives the slurry in the nozzle. This method extends the nozzle life and allows premixing of the particles prior to injection (abrasive suspension jets), enabling operation at lower pressures, cutting of harder materials and smaller jets (micro machining). The commercial potential of using this diverse technology by both small machine shops to automotive and aircraft industries is very appealing. Wear of the nozzle or mixing tube in present systems is a major problem affecting all the applications of jet cutting.