Performance studies on cavitation-resistance turbine flow sensor based on experiment and CFD simulation

Under the technical requirements of expanding measurement range and suppressing cavitation of flow sensors, the performance of a novel cavitation-resistance turbine flow sensor is taken as the research objective in this article. Based on theoretical analysis, a three-dimensional flow field CFD model of the turbine flow sensor with Realizable k-ε turbulence model and Schnerr&Sauer cavitation model is established. The cavitation tunnel experiment is performed to obtain the sensor characteristics. Finally, simulation and experiment results is analyzed and the feasibility of the CFD simulation of the sensor flow field is proved. The results show that this novel turbine flow sensor has the ability to resist cavitation, and the critical cavitation number σ_cr of the turbine flow sensor is below 0.4. Under a wide range of cavitation number (0.33~ σ ~1.6), Reynolds number(5 × 10⁴~ Re ~8 × 10⁵)and inflow angle α(−5°~ α~ 5°), the measurement meets the requirements.     

High-speed liquid film sensor for two-phase flows with high spatial resolution based on electrical conductance

A sensor is presented, that allows high-speed measurements of two-phase film flows. The sensor consists of electrodes flush to the wall, that measure the electrical conductance in a liquid film. This sensor has a time resolution of 10 kHz and 64×16 measuring points, with a spatial resolution of 3.12 mm² and a maximum film thickness range of 0.8 mm. The shape of the sensor electrodes is optimized by calculating the potential field of the liquid film. The calculated sensor characteristic is compared with experimental data received by imposing static liquid films of known thickness on top of the sensor. Further dynamic measurements of co-current air–water flow in a horizontal channel have been conducted. The statistical analysis concerning film thickness distribution and flow patterns is generally in agreement with literature. The high time and spatial resolution allows a wave analysis over a wide range of wavelengths and wave velocities. By using a continuous wavelet transform, a significant amount of additional information has been retrieved, particularly in regard to ripple waves. Preliminary experiments show the ability of the sensor to detect droplet deposition onto the liquid film. An autoregressive filter has been applied to separate droplet impacts from periodic wavy structures.     

Wire-mesh sensors for high-resolving two-phase flow studies at high pressures and temperatures

Wire-mesh sensors are used for a high-speed visualization of a gas–liquid flow as well as for the measurement of void fraction profiles, bubble size distributions and gas velocity distributions. Recent progress was made in designing and constructing such sensors for an application in a hot steam–water mixture. Two types are presented: (1) a sensor with an inner diameter of 52.3 mm with a measuring matrix of 16×16 and (2) a sensor of 195 mm inner diameter with 64×64 measuring points. Both devices can be operated at 7 MPa and a temperature of max. 286 ^∘C. The spatial and temporal resolutions are equal to earlier used sensors for air–water flow at ambient conditions (3 mm, 2500 fps). In the paper, the function of the sensors is illustrated by presenting flow visualizations obtained at two vertical test sections of the Rossendorf TOPFLOW facility. The pipes are approximately 9 m long and have inner diameters equal to the diameters of the measuring cross sections mentioned above. The results show how the flow structure depends on the thermodynamic parameters by comparing measurements performed at 1, 2, 4 and 6.5 MPa and 180, 212, 250 and 280 ^∘C, correspondingly, under adiabatic conditions with earlier air–water tests.     

Multi-range sensors for the measurement of liquid film thickness distributions based on electrical conductance

The paper presents an approach toward an enhancement of the measuring range of high-speed sensors for the measurement of liquid film thickness distributions based on electrical conductance. This type of sensors consists of electrodes mounted flush to the wall. The sampling of the current generated between a pair of neighboring electrode is used as a measure of the film thickness. Such sensors have a limited measuring range, which is proportional to the lateral distance between the electrodes. The range is therefore coupled to the spatial resolution. The proposed new design allows an extension of the film thickness range by combining electrode matrices of different resolution in one and the same sensor. In this way, a high spatial resolution is reached with a small thickness range, whereas a film thickness that exceeds the range of the high resolution measurement can still be acquired even though on the costs of a lower spatial resolution. A simultaneous signal acquisition with a sampling frequency of 3.2 kHz combines three measuring ranges for the characterization of a two-dimensional film thickness distribution: (1) thickness range 0–600 µm, lateral resolution 2×2 mm², (2) thickness range 400–1300 µm, lateral resolution 4×4 mm², and (3) thickness range 1000–3500 µm, lateral resolution 12×12 mm². The functionality of this concept sensor is demonstrated by tests in a horizontal wavy stratified air–water flow at ambient conditions. Using flexible printed circuit board technology to manufacture the sensor makes it possible to place the sensor at the inner surface of a circular pipe.     

Dry-sliding self-lubricating ceramics: CuO doped 3Y-TZP

Dense 8 mol% CuO doped 3Y-TZP ceramics prepared by pressureless sintering at 1500 °C exhibits a good wear-resistance (specific wear rate k < 10⁻⁶ mm³ N⁻¹ m⁻¹) and promisingly low friction (coefficient of friction f = 0.2–0.3) when sliding against an alumina ball under unlubricated conditions. It was recognized that a self-lubricating mechanism is the most important contribution to the reduction of friction. During operation of the tribosystem, a soft interfacial patchy layer is generated in the contact area. As confirmed by calculations, based on a deterministic friction model, this soft interfacial patchy layer reduces friction. It was demonstrated that the presence of copper oxide is important for the formation of such an interfacial layer. The mechanism of the transition from mild to severe wear was also investigated. Detachment of a top layer in the wear track was proven to be the main reason for this tribological change.     

Direct measurement of bottom shear stress under high-velocity flow conditions

The objectives of the present research are to accurately measure bottom shear stress under high-velocity flow conditions. To achieve high-velocity flow conditions, a laboratory-scale flume has been specially built in which flow velocity can reach over 3 m s⁻¹. Also an instrument that can directly measure bottom shear stress has been developed and validated. Then, the flow resistance has been estimated by simultaneously measuring flow velocity and bottom shear stress. It appears that the shear stress is indeed proportional to velocity squared and also to Reynolds number. On the other hand, Manning's n value and the skin friction factor are more or less uniform across all experimental cases.     

Static pressure measurement error for wall taps with high Reynolds number turbulent pipe flow

An experimental study on a static pressure measurement errors in wall taps was conducted using a high Reynolds number actual flow facility (Hi-Reff). The bulk Reynolds number Re_D examined was up to 1.3 × 10⁷ and tap Reynolds number Re_t was up to 8.5 × 10⁴. The behavior of the static pressure measurement error at high Reynolds numbers was clarified experimentally. The static pressure measurement error normalized by wall shear stress increases with Reynolds number and reaches an asymptotic value. Its maximum value is 7.1 at Re_t = 8470. The asymptotic value increases with the size of the tap diameter up to 6 mm and then becomes constant for tap diameters exceeding 6 mm. The universal curve reported in previous studies is observed for only a limited range of tap Reynolds numbers of below 700 and of tap diameters below 4 mm.     

Fabrication,Characterisation and Tribological Investigation of Artificial Skin Surface Lipid Films

This article deals with the tribology of lipid coatings that resemble those found on human skin. In order to simulate the lipidic surface chemistry of human skin, an artificial sebum formulation that closely resembles human sebum was spray-coated onto mechanical skin models in physiologically relevant concentrations (5–100 μg/cm²). Water contact angles and surface free energies (SFEs) showed that model surfaces with ≤25 μg/cm² lipids appropriately mimic the physico-chemical properties of dry, sebum-poor skin regions. In friction experiments with a steel ball, lipid-coated model surfaces demonstrated lubrication effects over a wide range of sliding velocities and normal loads. In friction measurements on model surfaces as a function of lipid-film thickness, a clear minimum in the friction coefficient (COF) was observed in the case of hydrophilic, high-SFE materials (steel, glass), with the lowest COF (≈0.5) against skin model surfaces being found at 25 μg/cm² lipids. For hydrophobic, low-SFE polymers, the COF was considerably lower (0.4 for PP, 0.16 for PTFE) and relatively independent of the lipid amount, indicating that both the mechanical and surface-chemical properties of the sliders strongly influence the friction behaviour of the skin-model surfaces. Lipid-coated skin models might be a valuable tool not only for tribologists but also for cosmetic chemists, in that they allow the objective study of friction, adhesion and wetting behaviour of liquids and emulsions on simulated skin-surface conditions.     

An orifice meter for bidirectional air flow measurements: Influence of gas thermo-hygrometric content on static response and bidirectionality

This paper presents the design and calibration of an ISO non-compliant orifice plate flowmeter whose intended use is for respiratory function measurements in the bidirectional air flow range ±9 L/min.The novelty of the proposed sensor consists of a plate beveled in both upstream and downstream sides: a symmetrical geometry is adopted in order to perform bidirectional measurements of flow rate. A mathematical model is introduced to quantify the influence of temperature on the sensor output. Four different positions of the pressure static taps are evaluated in order to maximize bidirectionality. An index is also introduced in order to quantitatively estimate the anti-symmetry of the sensor's response curve.Trials are carried out to evaluate the influence on sensor output of air temperatures (22 °C, 30 °C and 37 °C) at different values of relative humidity (5%, 55% and 85%). Experimental data show a quite good agreement with the theoretical model (R²>0.98 in each condition).The influence of air temperature on the sensor output is minimized by introducing a correction factor based on the theoretical model leading to measurement repeatability better than 2% in overall range of calibration. The mean sensitivity in the calibration range is about 2 kPa L⁻¹·min allowing to obtain a sensor discrimination threshold lower than 0.2 L/min in both directions. The time constant of the whole measurement system, equal to 2.40±0.03 ms, leads to a bandwidth up to 80 Hz making the sensor suitable for respiratory function measurements.     

Low-friction wear-resistant coatings for high-temperature foil bearings

Compliant foil bearings offer many advantages over rolling element bearings in high-speed and high-temperature applications. However, implementation of foil bearings in these applications requires development of solid lubricant coatings that can survive the severe operating conditions encountered at high speeds and high temperatures. The objective of this paper is to present results on development of an advanced coating system for use with compliant foil bearings that permits higher operating speeds and temperatures. In order to evaluate the coating performance and to select the best coating combination for implementation, tests were conducted using a high-temperature, high-speed tribometer. In these tests, Inconel test substrates, representative of a portion of a foil bearing, were coated with several different Korolon^TM coatings. The counterface disks were coated with a dense chrome, plasma sprayed PS304, hard chrome and Korolon^TM 1350B. Each test was conducted for 500 start–stop cycles up to 810 °C foil pad temperature under 13.8 kPa normal loading.The test results confirmed the excellent tribological behavior of Korolon^TM coatings for high-speed, high-temperature foil bearing applications. While the tribological behavior of Korolon^TM coatings were determined to be a function of temperature, in most cases a minimum coefficient of friction less than 0.1 was observed during startup/shutdown periods. Based on the measured coefficient of friction and post-test visual inspection of the mating surfaces, the hard chrome coating proved unacceptable for high-temperature applications due to extensive surface cracking. The other disk coatings exhibited excellent tribological performance.Following these tests, a foil journal bearing was designed and a composite coating consisting of Korolon^TM 1350A with an overcoat of Korolon^TM 800 was applied to the bearing top foil; and a dense chrome coating was applied to the journal surface. The foil bearing and journal were installed in a 240-lb thrust turbojet engine and operated successfully to 54,000 rpm for over 70 start–stop cycles and 14 h.     

Plastic deformation of 25CrMo4 steel during wear: Effect of the temperature,the normal force,the sliding velocity and the structural state

This article follows a previous study on friction and wear of 25CrMo4 steel [N. Khanafi-Benghalem, K. Loucif, E. Felder, F. Delamare, Influence de la température sur les mécanismes de frottement et d’usure des aciers X12NiCrMoSi25-20 et 25CrMo4 glissant sur du carbure de tungstène, Matériaux et techniques 93 (2005) 347–362]. The aim of our work is to study in more details the process of plastic deformation and the wear rate of this steel in lubricated sliding against cemented tungsten carbide, process observed in the previous work. The considered parameters are the temperature T (from 20 to 200 °C), the normal force P (from 500 to 1500 N), the steel structure (normalised HV 220 and quenched/tempered HV 480 states) and the sliding velocity v (from 0.05 to 0.3 m/s). We measured the friction coefficient and the sample total volume loss. A displacement sensor follows the volume loss evolution during the test; this follow-up is approximate because of the sample plastic flow which leads to the formation of peripheral burrs. All the tests conditions generate a significant plastic deformation of the sample steel, even in the quenched/tempered state: it produces a marked increase of the surface hardness, the work hardened layer being much finer for the quenched/tempered state (15 μm) than for the normalised state (40 μm at 20 °C). For temperatures T ≤ 100 °C in normalised state, the wear follows the Archard's law with an increasing rate with temperature. For T ≥ 120 °C, the wear rate decreases during the test, the global volume of wear being a decreasing function of T. For the quenched/tempered state, the wear rate decreases with the increase of the normal force, this decrease is less than 30% of the normalised state value. The material heating during the wear tests is well correlated with the friction dissipated power, but remains small, except in extreme cases (v maximum, great friction at high temperatures). These results suggest the existence of two wear mechanisms: abrasion by sample debris and burrs emission by plastic flow. The abrasion is probably the dominating mechanism for the tests carried out at the lowest temperatures. The plastic flow becomes a significant component at the highest temperatures. Using a contact model, we discuss to what extent the influence of the temperature and the strain rate on the steel hardness and ductility could explain the temperature and the sliding velocity effect on wear. Other phenomena are probably present: the influence of the steel microstructure and the lubricant on the size and/or the number of particles responsible for abrasion.     

Study on the oxidation of stainless steels 304 and 304L in humid air and the friction during hot rolling

In rolling process, the contact friction is of crucial importance for accurate modeling, optimum design and control of industrial rolling processes. It is important to characterize the features of the oxide scale of stainless steel in hot strip rolling because the scale on the strip surface affects friction coefficient and thermal conductivity coefficient. To some extent, the rolling force and friction condition depend on the thickness and the microstructure of the oxide scale. Oxidation tests of stainless steels 304 and 304L were carried out in a high temperature electric resistance furnace. The humid air in which the water vapour content can be controlled was generated and remained to flow into the chamber of the furnace in 2.5 × 10⁻⁴ m³/s to study the effect of humidity on the oxidation of stainless steels. The microstructure and thickness of oxide scale layer of stainless steels were obtained and two or three oxide layers can be found. The humid air has a significant effect on the growth of oxide scale. Hot rolling tests were carried out on Hille 100 rolling mill. The friction condition at the roll–strip interface during hot rolling of stainless steel was determined and the transfer of surface roughness was discussed.     

Tribological behavior of graphite-containing nickel-based composite as function of temperature,load and counterface

Nickel-based graphite-containing composites were prepared by powder metallurgy method. Their mechanical properties at room temperature and friction and wear properties from room temperature to 600 °C were investigated by a pin-on-disk tribometer with alumina, silicon nitride and nickel-based alloy as counterfaces. The effects of graphite addition amount, temperature, load, sliding speed and counterface materials on the tribological properties were discussed. The micro-structure and worn surface morphologies were analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) attached with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The results show that the composites are mainly consisted of nickel-based solid solution, free graphite and carbide formed during hot pressing. The friction and wear properties of composites are all improved by adding 6–12 wt.% graphite while the anti-bending and tensile strength as well as hardness decrease after adding graphite. The friction coefficients from room temperature to 600 °C decrease with the increase of load, sliding speed while the wear rates increase with the increasing temperature, sliding speed. The lower friction coefficients and wear rates are obtained when the composite rubs against nickel-based alloy containing molybdenum disulfide. Friction coefficients of graphite-containing composites from room temperature to 600 °C are about 0.4 while wear rates are in the magnitude of 10^?5 mm³/(N m). At high temperature, the graphite is not effective in lubrication due to the oxidation and the shield of ‘glaze’ layer formed by compacting back-transferred wear particles. EDS analysis of worn surface shows that the oxides of nickel and molybdenum play the main role of lubrication instead of graphite at the temperature above 400 °C.     

Temperature correlation velocimetry technique in liquid metals

The article describes the temperature cross-correlation velocimetry method applied to liquid metal flows. The technique allows to measure temperature waveforms and average longitudinal velocity in a flow simultaneously. The used micro thermocouple sensor and signal processing procedure are described in comparison with other works where the same or a similar approach have been implemented. Examples of experimental results obtained in MPEI¹ – JIHT² mercury facilities, are also provided. Method has been successfully used in magnetic fields up to 1 T.     

Total pressure fluctuations and two-phase flow turbulence in self-aerated stepped chute flows

Current knowledge in high-velocity self-aerated flows continues to rely upon physical modelling. Herein a miniature total pressure probe was successfully used in both clear-water and air-water flow regions of high-velocity open channel flows on a steep stepped channel. The measurements were conducted in a large size facility (θ=45°, h=0.1 m, W=0.985 m) and they were complemented by detailed clear-water and air-water flow measurements using a Prandtl-Pitot tube and dual-tip phase-detection probe respectively in both developing and fully-developed flow regions for Reynolds numbers within 3.3×10⁵ to 8.7×10⁵. Upstream of the inception point of free-surface aeration, the clear-water developing flow was characterised by a developing turbulent boundary layer and an ideal-flow region above. The boundary layer flow presented large total pressure fluctuations and turbulence intensities, with distributions of turbulence intensity close to intermediate roughness flow data sets: i.e., intermediate between d-type and k-type. The total pressure measurements were validated in the highly-aerated turbulent shear region, since the total pressure predictions based upon simultaneously-measured void fraction and velocity data agreed well with experimental results recorded by the total pressure probe. The results demonstrated the suitability of miniature total pressure probe in both monophase and two-phase flows. Both interfacial and water phase turbulence intensities were recorded. Present findings indicated that the turbulence intensity in the water phase was smaller than the interfacial turbulence intensity.     

Friction and Wear Characteristics of Single Crystal Ni-Based Superalloys at Elevated Temperatures

The purpose of this study was to investigate the friction and wear behavior of single crystal superalloys at elevated temperatures. Pin-on-plate experiments were conducted using a custom-built high-temperature fretting/wear apparatus. Measurements were performed on two single crystal Ni-based alloys and Waspaloy^® (used as a baseline material). The coefficient of friction for the single crystal materials (i.e., during running-in and steady state) was lower compared to the Waspaloy^®. In addition, the experiments showed that the friction coefficient of the single crystal is dependent on the crystallographic plane; the friction coefficient was lower for the tests on the {100} plane compared to the {111} plane. The wear behavior was aligned with the friction behavior, where the single crystal Ni-based alloys showed slightly higher wear resistance compared to the Waspaloy^®. Ex situ analysis by means of FIB/SEM and XPS analysis revealed the formation of Co-base metal oxide layer on the surface of the single crystal alloy. Similarly, a Co-base oxide layer is observed on the counterface providing a self-mated oxide-on-oxide contact and thus lower friction and wear compared to the Waspaloy^®.     

Design of a micro floating element shear stress sensor

A silicon-based micro-machined, floating element sensor for wall shear-stress measurement has been developed. Sensor with the dimension of 4×3×0.5 mm³ has been fabricated by inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etching techniques with single mask. An optical system was designed to identify whether there is defect in the structure of the fabricated sensor. Detection of the floating element motion induced by shear stress of fluid is accomplished using differential capacitance measurement. A special package was used to reduce the parasitic capacitance and realize flush mounted between the sensor and the wall. Calibration tests were carried out in a laminar flow channel; the result indicates that the sensitivity of the sensor is measured to be 27 mv/Pa. The measured non-linearity is less than 3.4% while the repeatability is within 4.9% in the regime of 0–35 Pa.     

Ultra-High Tribological Performance of Magnetron Sputtered a-C:H Films in Sand-Dust Environment

The hydrogenated amorphous carbon (a-C:H) films were prepared on AISI 440C steel substrates using a RF magnetron sputtering graphite target in the CH₄ and Ar mixture atmosphere. The friction and wear behavior of a-C:H films were comparatively investigated by pin-on-disc tester under dry sliding and simulated sand-dust wear conditions. In addition, the effects of applied load, amount of sand and sand particle sizes on the tribological performance of a-C:H films were systemically studied. Results show that a-C:H films exhibited ultra-high tribological performance with low friction coefficient and ultra-low wear rate under sand-dust environments. It is very interesting to observe that the friction coefficient of a-C:H film under sand-dust conditions was relatively lower when compared with dry sliding condition, and the wear rate under sand-dust conditions kept at the same order of magnitude (×10⁻¹⁹ m³/N m) with the increase of applied load and particle size as a comparison with the dry sliding condition. Based on the formation of “ridge” layer (composite transfer layer), a transfer layer-hardening composite model was established to explain the anti-wear mechanisms and friction-reducing capacity of a-C:H solid lubrication films under sand-dust conditions.     

Effects of carbon fiber length on the tribological properties of paper-based friction materials

Four kinds of paper-based friction materials reinforced with carbon fibers of 100, 400, 600 and 800 μm were prepared by paper-making processes. Experimental results showed that the friction materials became porous with fiber length increasing. The friction torque curves were flat except the sample with 100 μm fibers. The wear rate of the sample with 100 μm fibers was only 1.40×10⁻⁵ mm³/J. Tiny debris and fine scratches formed in the worn surface were the reason for excellent wear resistance of friction pairs with 100 μm fibers. The friction pairs with 400, 600 and 800 μm fibers showed typically abrasive wear and fatigue wear.     

Improving the Tribological Behavior of Graphite/Cu Matrix Self-Lubricating Composite Contact Strip by Electroplating Zn on Graphite

Studies to explore the nature of friction, and in particular thermally activated friction in macroscopic tribology, have lead to a series of experiments on thin coatings of molybdenum disulfide. Coatings of predominately molybdenum disulfide were selected for these experiments; five different coatings were used: MoS₂/Ni, MoS₂/Ti, MoS₂/Sb₂O₃, MoS₂/C/Sb₂O₃, and MoS₂/Au/Sb₂O₃. The temperatures were varied over a range from −80 °C to 180 °C. The friction coefficients tended to increase with decreasing temperature. Activation energies were estimated to be between 2 and 10 kJ/mol from data fitting with an Arrhenius function. Subsequent room temperature wear rate measurements of these films under dry nitrogen conditions at ambient temperature demonstrated that the steady-state wear behavior of these coatings varied dramatically over a range of K = 7 × 10⁻⁶ to 2 × 10⁻⁸ mm³/(Nm). It was further shown that an inverse relationship between wear rate and the sensitivity of friction coefficient with temperature exists. The highest wear-rate coatings showed nearly athermal friction behavior, while the most wear resistant coatings showed thermally activated behavior. Finally, it is hypothesized that thermally activated behavior in macroscopic tribology is reserved for systems with stable interfaces and ultra-low wear, and athermal behavior is characteristic to systems experiencing gross wear.