Optimal Particle Size for the

Cold Spray Process

by
Dennis Helfritch and Victor Champagne
U.S. Army Research Laboratory
Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD

presented at the
ITSC 2006

1
 Modeling Efforts
Gasdynamic equations are used to calculate gas
velocity and temperature within the nozzle and
downstream of the nozzle exit.

The resulting particle velocity and temperature

are then calculated by gas-particle drag and heat
transfer.

An empirical relationship between critical

velocity and particle material characteristics is
used to determine deposition efficiency.
2
 Apply Gasdynamic Analysis to
Nozzle - Substrate Geometry

Frictionless gas flow (except for particle interaction)

Classical adiabatic, isentropic gasdynamic equations
Particles do not influence gas conditions
Shock standoff by Billig Approximation
Normal component of the gas velocity linearly
decreases to zero downstream of the shock
3
 Nozzle Expansion
And Shock Calculations
( +1)
A1 M 2 1 + [( 1) / 2]M 12 2( 1) Isentropic flow
= area/Mach number
A2 M 1 1 + [( 1) / 2]M 22 relationship

2

= 0.143d e exp 3.24 / M e Shock wave stand-
off distance*

2 2
e
M +

M2 =
1
2 2 Mach number after
M e 1 shock wave
1

*F.S. Billig, Shock-Wave Shapes around Spherical and Cylindrical-

Nosed Bodies, J. Spacecraft, Vol. 4(No. 5), 1967, pp. 822 - 823. 4
 Gas-Particle Relationships

m
dV p
dt
(
= C D ( / 8) g d 2 Vg V p 2 ) Particle drag/velocity
relationship

24
(
1 + 0.15 Re 0.687
1 + e

)
0.427 / M p 4.63 + 3.0 / Re 0.88

Drag coefficient with
CD =

(
Re 1 + M p / Re 3.82 + 1.28e )( 1 . 25 Re / M p
)


rarefaction and
compressibility
effects*

cp
dT p
dt
( )( )(
= N u k / d p A p / m Tg T p ) Particle temperature/gas
temperature relationship

N u = 2.0 + Re 0.5 Pr 0.33 Nusselt number

*D. Carlson and R. Hoglund: Particle Drag and Heat Transfer in

5
Rocket Nozzles, AIAA Journal, 1964, 2(11), pp. 1980 -1984.
 Conditions of Calculations
Unless otherwise stated, all calculations are
carried out for the following conditions:

Nozzle area ratio = 4, Length = 0.1m

Nitrogen accelerating gas
2.76 MPa, 673 degree K stagnation conditions
Copper particles, inserted at 293 degree K
Normal particle diameter distribution, SD = 4

6
Calculation Detail

7
 Gas-Particle Flows
3 Micron Diameter Particle

8
 Impact Velocity
vs. Particle Diameter
800
Impact Velocity (m/s)

600

400
3g/cm3
200 6g/cm3
9g/cm3
0
0 10 20 30 40
Particle Diameter (m)

9
 9 g/cc Particle, Helium Gas

2000
Impact Velocity, m/s

1500

1000

500

0
0 10 20 30
Particle Diameter, micron 10
 Deposition Calculations
The empirical relationship for the critical velocity
is given by Assadi* as:

Critical Velocity = 667 - 14 + 0.08Tm + 0.1 - 0.4Te

= particle density Tm = particle melting point

= particle UTS Te = particle exit temperature

All particles impacting the substrate with velocity

larger than the critical velocity will deposit
*H. Assadi, et al: Bonding Mechanism in Cold Gas Spraying,
Acta Materialia, 2003, 51, pp. 4379 4394.
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 Deposition Efficiency
Calculation
1. Calculate particle impact velocities and
temperatures vs. particle diameter.
2. Calculate critical velocities based on the particle
impact temperatures.
3. Find the range of particle sizes that has an
impact velocity greater than the critical velocity.
4. Given the MMD and the SD of the powder,
integrate the normal particle size distribution
from the smaller diameter to the larger diameter.
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 Critical Particle Diameters
800

600
Velocity (m/s)

400
velocity
critical velocity
200
these particles deposit
0
0 5 10 15 20
Particle Diameter (m)
13
 Effect of Particle Diameter on
Deposition Efficiency
100
Deposition Efficiency (%)

no shock
80
with shock
60

40

20

0
0 5 10 15 20 25
Distribution MMD (m)

14
 Conclusions

Decreasing particle diameter results in improved

deposition only to a point.
This point is reached at approximately 5 microns, as
smaller particles are more readily slowed in the flow
downstream of the bow shock.
This effect can result in a reduction of the deposition
efficiency from 90% to 50% when spraying powders
with an MMD of 8 versus an MMD of 2.

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Questions?

5m

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