Investigation of CO2-Snow generation for specific manipulation of the snow properties

• Applicant: Professor Dr.-Ing. Eckart Uhlmann
• Subject Area: Metal-Cutting and Abrasive Manufacturing Engineering ; Fluid Mechanics ; Technical Thermodynamics
• Term: from 2010 to 2016
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 157586885

Blasting with solid carbon dioxide is well-established as an alternative cleaning process in the last years. In particular, the fact that solid CO2 is a volatile blasting media, which means that no residues of blasting media remain, shows the advantage of this blasting technology in contrast to blasting with durable abrasives. An investigation on the working mechanism of dry ice blasting was conducted, but not for the CO2 snow blasting. There are only patents, which describes how to improve the blasting performance, but without any proof. During the first project period the principles of CO2 snow generation should be investigated. Furthermore it was to be determined which method qualified to improve the blasting performance. For the studies a measuring system had to be set up, with the objective to determine the flow characteristics and the blasting performance. Initial fundamental relationships between the CO2 snow generation and influencing parameters can be determined by using the developed measuring system. The developed process model shows, that the influencing parameters differ from each other according to the CO2 triple pressure. In the future project two process models have to be developed according to the CO2 triple point, because the influencing parameters could not used separately in the actual model. With these two process models it should be possible to describe the CO2 snow generation in a comprehensive way. Furthermore it should be possible to determine an optimized working point of CO2 snow generation depending on different blasting pressure. Beyond that, investigation have to be conducted how the working mechanism of dry ice blasting can be transferred to the CO2 snow blasting.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants