Liquid-jet impact on liquid and solid surfaces

Experiments were conducted to investigate the mechanisms of the liquid-jet impact on liquid and solid surfaces associated with cavitation damage and rain erosion. In this work, a liquid jet of 3 mm diameter, generated using a single impact jet apparatus, was impacted at ca. 600 m s-1 on the surface of water and polymethyl-methacrylate (PMMA) placed 15 mm below the nozzle exit. The various phenomena which occurred were photographed using an image-converter high-speed camera. These include (i) the shock wave generated at the moment of the liquid-jet impact on the surface, (ii) shock waves reflected at the liquid/air or solid/air interfaces, as release waves, (iii) the damage to the PMMA, (iv) the overlap of release waves on the central axis, causing central damage in PMMA and cavitation in liquids. The cavitation behaviour and the process of the damage is directly related to the behaviour of the compressive wave caused by the impact of the liquid jet.