Multi-physical field coupling for vibration feed electrochemical machining of diamond-shaped hole in titanium alloy

He Y, Gan W, Yin F, et al. Multi-physical field coupling for vibration feed electrochemical machining of diamond-shaped hole in titanium alloy[J]. The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, 2020, 106(3): 1409-1420.

Titanium alloy is widely used in manufacturing because of its high heat resistance, excellent corrosion resistance, high specific strength, and low thermal conductivity. This study led to the development of a multi-physics field-coupling model of vibrating feed electrolysis processing of diamond-shaped hole in titanium alloy TC4. The model is based on the coupling relationships among the electric, flow, and temperature fields of electrolytic processing. The distributions of the electric field, flow field, temperature field, and bubble rate were obtained via vibration feed electrolysis processing of three kinds of flutes for the cathode tool. Compared with the diamond-shaped and circular liquid channels, no liquid vacancy arises at the acute angle of the rhombic hole, and the stability of the flow field is good when the cathode tool has a short circular arc liquid channel. In addition, the test results show that a channel with this form allows sufficient fluid at the acute angle of the diamond-shaped hole, and the quality of the sidewall and the bottom surface are uniform. The coupling of the electric, flow, and temperature fields increases the forming accuracy of the short circular arc liquid channel. This is consistent with the results of the multi-physics field coupling calculation of the titanium alloy vibration feed electrolysis processing. The reciprocating motion of the cathode tool at the time of vibration feed also facilitates the discharge of insoluble matter on the surface of the titanium alloy in the processing area.