Mechanism of debris ejection in atomized dielectric-based electrical discharge machining

Atomized dielectric-based electrical discharge machining (EDM) is a novel machining process in which a thin film of moving fluid resulting from a spray acts as the dielectric in the interelectrode gap. In addition to acting as the dielectric, the thin film also helps to flush the debris away from EDM crater features and requires very small quantity of fluid in doing so. This results in significantly less dielectric consumption compared to the conventional EDM while yielding higher material removal rates and better debris flushing. This paper presents a model-based investigation of the mechanism of debris flushing in atomized dielectric-based EDM. A material removal model is used to predict the amount of debris removed in terms of number of particles ejected during a single EDM discharge. The dielectric material properties and atomization spray parameters are varied in order to produce different ejection conditions and crater geometries, respectively. Particles are ejected from the bottom of crater geometries. The model captures the asymmetry in particle motion caused by the dielectric film flow and predicts the percentage of debris flushed away from the crater center. It is also observed that crater shape and size of debris particles play a role in the amount of debris flushed away.