Equilibrium electrode gap thickness is theoretically analyzed along a rectilinear path for electrolyte flow. Parameters of little effects on machining accuracy are neglected on basis of assumptions which were commonly used in the conventional ECM gap theories, so that very simple basic equations are obtained without introducing momentum equations for electrolyte flow. The effect of hydrogen gas void fraction, β on electrolyte conductivity is given by a fractional expression of
f(β)=(1-β)/(1+λβ) which is an accurate approximation for
f(β)=(1-β)
n in the range of
n=1.43-1.58, in order to cancel (1-β) included in a dominator in a basic equation. Thus for
h* of dimensionless gap thickness is induced a quadratic equation of
x*, including only ρ
H* of dimensionless hydrogen gas density, as a
x*-dependent parameter. An approximation for ρ
H* with a straight line leads to determination of gap profiles in the form of parts of hyperbola without numerical calculation by electronic computer. Gap profiles are roughly classified into the types of ever-decreasing, intermediate-peaked and ever-increasing, with an index of dimensionless parameter
A1 depending on voltage
Eohm· A result of theoretical analysis denies the existence of the conventional optimal machining condition to form a constant gap along the flow path. In order to minimize gap variation along the flow path is proposed an alternative way of optimization, in which
Eohm is periodically changed so that conditions of increasing and decreasing effects on the gap thickness compensate each other most.
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