Analysis of the waterjet contact/impact on target material

Numerical modeling via finite element analyses (FEA) and experimental measurements via moiré interferometry were applied to the investigation of abrasive waterjet (AWJ) drilling. Polycarbonate and alumina blocks with dimensions of 25.4 mm×19.5 mm×6.25 mm were subjected to concentrated static loads experimentally and numerically. The assumptions of the FEA model are verified by comparing the experimental results with the numerical solution. A closed-form solution confirmed the correlation between the two. It was concluded that the assumption of the FEA model (e.g. mesh, boundary conditions, pressure loading, etc.) represented the static conditions. This conclusion allowed the application of a hybrid numerical/experimental technique to understand the complex interaction of the target material and the AWJ slurry column during drilling.