Abstract
Electrolyte jet machining technology offers high machining flexibility, enabling high-quality machining of various aerospace titanium alloys. As a result, it holds significant market application value. However, the development of this technology has been limited by difficulties in product transportation. This article addresses these issues by focusing on numerical simulation and experimental research on the transportation of processed products. A comprehensive study was conducted on the flow direction of the flow field, transportation of processing products, and distribution of gas-liquid. Particularly, the particle tracking method was employed to simulate the transport process of processed products under varying pressures and electrolyte jet angles, offering valuable insights into the transient transport of processed products in high-speed electrolyte jet machining. The quality of the processed surface, the contour of the processed grooves, and the micro morphology are the key points to be analyzed. Research results indicate that changing the jet angle of the electrolyte to 60° improved the machining surface quality. The machined surface roughness was approximately Ra 0.3 μm, which was significantly lower than the original surface roughness of Ra 1.6 μm. The machined edge contour was clear, and the machined surface exhibited a silver-white metallic sheen. The stability and reliability of this technology were verified by machining complex shape patterns. The depth and width errors of the machined grooves in multiple positions were less than 2%, indicating good machining consistency. Finally, a planar structure was machined using this technology, and the machined surface was smooth with no apparent scattered corrosion. The findings of this study provide a technical foundation for the utilization of high-speed electrolyte jet machining technology in the machining of aerospace titanium alloys.