Experimental and numerical approach to predict slurry erosion in jet erosion test rig

Surface degradation due to slurry erosion is the common phenomenon encountered in fluid handling and material processing industries. Slurry erosion research initiated at the latter half of the twentieth century. Huge economic losses incurred through slurry erosion, to such an extent that components can`t be repaired. Erosion is a complex process, because it operates with many factors and these factors contribute individually and in combined form, they affect severely. To evaluate materials` behavior under erosion environment, slurry erosion test rigs are developed. Numerous jet erosion test rigs are developed, yet standardization of the test method is unattainable due to its intricacy. Jet type slurry erosion test rigs are the preferable choice, as they offer flexibility with the test parameters and it could provide impact characteristics. Erodents` introduction is a tedious task, as particles have to be introduced into the flowing fluid. In the present article, a novel device named modified Venturi device is developed. Performance of the test rig is evaluated by varying the operating test parameters and by evaluating Cast Iron sample as the candidate material. From the results, it is noticed that developed test rig can be successfully employed to evaluate the erosion behavior. Erosion depends on the kinetic energy and the drag force on the particle. Numerical approach through CFD has been adopted and found that the experimental results are in good correlation with Finnie erosion model. SEM Micrographs reveal the material removal mechanism in the test rig.