Flow field design and experimental investigation of electrochemical trepanning of diffuser with a special structure

The diffuser is a key part of the aircraft engine, and electrochemical machining (ECM) is one of the main methods to process it. In the ECM of a diffuser, the suitability of the flow field determines whether the ECM can be successful. A suitable flow field can not only improve the stability of the machining, but also influence its machining efficiency and surface quality. A diffuser with a special structure is processed by the method of electrochemical trepanning in this paper. A back pressure is added to the machining zone, which is different from the outlet-open flow mode always used in traditional machining method, and the outlet-cornered gap is optimized. Simulation results show that the uniformity of the flow field is optimal when the outlet-cornered gap ζ is 0.35 mm. Furthermore, the experimental investigations are carried out, and the results show that when the feed rate of the cathode is increased from 0.5 to 0.7 mm/min, the blade accuracy is enhanced.