Experimental Evaluation of Electrolyte Flow Pattern in ECM Tool Using CFD Analysis

Gali Chiranjeevi Naidu; K Dharma Reddy; P V Ramaiah

Experimental Evaluation of Electrolyte Flow Pattern in ECM Tool Using CFD Analysis

( Vol-3,Issue-10,October 2016 ) OPEN ACCESS

Author(s):

Gali Chiranjeevi Naidu, K Dharma Reddy, P V Ramaiah

Keywords:

CFD, ECM, Electrolyte, Flow pattern.

Abstract:

In this present study, three dimensional flow pattern of Electrochemical Machining process has been simulated using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) in L-shaped tool model. The ANSYS software is used for the design and analysis of a model. Different process parameters like volume fraction profile, velocity profile, pressure profile temperature profile and heat flux profile of electrolyte flow in the Inter Electrode Gap (IEG) etc. have been evaluated from the simulation using this model. The results indicated generation of hydrogen bubbles in which the turn reduced the volume fraction of brine depending upon the tool geometry. Reduced brine volume fraction led to reduction in MRR. As a result of hydrogen bubble formation, temperature towards the boundaries were increased rapidly as gaseous hydrogen bubbles possess sufficiently lower convective heat transfer coefficient as compared to liquid brine. For validating the simulation results, a set of experiments have been carried out on ECM by fabricating the tool geometry. The experimental results were analyzed by using MINITAB software.