Erosion investigations by means of a centrifugal accelerator erosion tester

The determination and quantification of hydroabrasion due to the presence of solid particles entrained in the liquid flows is of a great importance in industrial equipment design and maintenance. A centrifugal accelerator erosion tester was designed to investigate the particle dynamics and erosion of different materials under various operating conditions. The tester consisted of a rotating disc to accelerate the slurry flow, gear box and a motor, target holders and a slurry pump to provide a controlled continuous feed of the suspension. The specimen samples were located around the disc on adjustable sample holders. In the present study, a series of experimental tests were carried out to study the effects of disc rotational velocity and feed volumetric flow on the flow impingement angle with the sample plates. The velocity magnitude and angle of slurry flow discharging from the tubes inside the rotating disc could be predicted with respect to the forces affecting the particles. The experimental data were then used to validate the CFD simulation results. The erosion of three various ferrous alloys, an aluminum alloy and a polymer (Hawiflex) were investigated experimentally by variation of influencing parameters. The increase in erosion depth and pileup height by increasing the solid concentration was observed, using a stationary roughness measurement device.