Flow Field Design in Electrochemical Machining of Diffuser

The diffuser which is usually made from hard-to-machine nickel-based and titanium-based alloys is a key component in the aero engine. In the electrochemical machining, the electrolyte flow mode has great effect on the machining stability and efficiency. This paper presents several flow modes for an aero engine diffuser on which the blades are long and thin. Then the flow field distributions of these flow modes are simulated by using the computational fluid dynamics software. The simulation results show that the mode in which the electrolyte flows from leading edge to trailing edge is appropriate. Furthermore, the fixture for this optimal flow mode is designed and fabricated, and the corresponding experiment is carried out. There is no flow mark on the diffuser sample surface and the process is stable. The experimental results show that this flow mode is appropriate and can be also used in other similar aero engine components.