Simulation and experimentation of renewable dielectric gap flow fields in EDM

When utilizing electrical discharge machining (EDM) for processing, the processing efficiency and quality will be significantly impacted, if the electrocorrosion residues in the gap flow field cannot be discharged in time. Numerical simulation is considered an effective means to simulate the flow field of EDM gaps. Based on simulation, this study investigates the processing time, depth, current, and dielectric (kerosene, water, and sunflower seed oil), on the movement of electrocorrosion residues within the dielectric. The simulation results demonstrate that an increase in processing time, current, or depth leads to a decrease in the escape rate of corrosion residues from the discharge gap. Compared with kerosene and sunflower seed oil, water has a higher residue escape rate, but the actual processing effect is not ideal. The escape rate of sunflower seed oil at any time was higher than that of kerosene,the highest was higher than 25%, and the average was higher than 22.21%. Sunflower seed oil can be used as a renewable dielectric to replace kerosene. Subsequently, verification experiments are conducted based on simulation results that demonstrate that the discrete phase model (DPM) fluid simulation exhibits excellent coupling with actual processing conditions.