Numerical Investigation of Combustion and Flow Dynamics in a High Velocity Oxygen-Fuel Thermal Spray Gun

The combustion and flow behavior within a high velocity oxygen-fuel (HVOF) thermal spray gun is very complex and involves multiphase flow, heat transfer, chemical reactions, and supersonic/subsonic transitions. Additionally, this behavior has a significant effect on the formation of a coating. Non-premixed combustion models have been developed and are able to provide insight into the underlying physics of the process. Therefore, this investigation employs a non-premixed combustion model and the SST k-ω turbulence model to simulate the flow field of the JP5000 (Praxair-TAFA, US) HVOF thermal spray gun. The predicted temperature and velocity have a high level of agreement with experimental data when using the non-premixed combustion model. The results are focused on the fuel combustion, the subsequent gas dynamics within the HVOF gun, and the development of a supersonic free jet outside the gun. Furthermore, the oxygen/fuel inlet turbulence intensity, the fuel droplet size, and the oxygen/fuel ratio are investigated to determine their effect on the supersonic flow characteristics of the combustion gas.