Particle velocity models for ultra-high pressure abrasive waterjets

Particle velocity and trajectory in an ultra-high pressure abrasive waterjet (AWJ) are important jet characteristic information required for understanding and modelling the particle erosion process involved in AWJ machining. In this paper, mathematical models for the particle velocity variations across and along an AWJ are developed based on an in-depth understanding of the jet dynamic characteristics from a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation study. The models are then assessed qualitatively and quantitatively. It is found that the model predictions are reasonable and consistent with the data from a verified CFD model with an average percentage error of less than 1%.