A fluid-solid coupled model for particle velocity and validation in spiral bevel gear shot peening

Abstract

Precise determination of particle velocity remains a tremendous challenge of simulating the shot peening process, and it significantly influences the accuracy of residual stress and surface roughness. To overcome these bottlenecks, this paper proposed a novel model that integrates computational fluid dynamics (CFD) with the discrete element method (DEM) for determining the velocity of particles in the shot peening process. Shot peening fluid phase (compressed air) and solid phase (particle) were described by Navier-Stokes equations and Newton's second law, respectively. The calculation of particles velocity was achieved through the coupling of momentum exchange between the fluid and solid phases. The relative error of particle velocity is less than 12 % through the particle velocity measurement experiment. The results show that upon traversing the expansion section of the nozzle, particles experience a substantial enhancement in acceleration capability, resulting in a considerable increase in velocity. Consequently, the design of the nozzle must take into account the profound effect of its structure on particle velocity. Further, particle velocity was incorporated into the finite element model (FEM) of shot peening for spiral bevel gears. Drawing on the residual stress and surface topography, the feasibility of CFD-DEM model was further corroborated. The significance of this paper lies in its contribution to the simulation of shot peening for complex curved components, thereby advancing the field of numerical simulation in shot peening.