Self-similarity in normal jet impingement erosion: Gaussian collapse of profiles within a limited regime

Abstract

The potential for self-similarity in erosion patterns was investigated for a continuous normal particle-laden abrasive jet impingement geometry, where erosion is induced by solid particles suspended in a carrier fluid. Analysis of experimental data from the literature revealed that erosion profiles closely followed a Gaussian distribution across different operating conditions. Given this observation, the profiles were subsequently normalized and compared against the Scaled Normal Distribution to assess self-similarity.

Despite variations in operating conditions, the normalized erosion profiles exhibited strong self-similarity, aligning closely with the Scaled Normal Distribution. The dataset considered in the study included a range of material types, primarily ductile metals but also selected coated or brittle surfaces, to evaluate the robustness of the observed behavior.

These findings indicate that, under normal jet impingement with low depth-to-width ratios, erosion profiles can be described by a Gaussian-based scaling. This provides a foundation for erosion models applicable to normal particle-laden abrasive jet impingement in the tested regime.