Multiscale Simulation of the Hydroabrasive Erosion of a Pelton Bucket: Bridging Scales to Improve the Accuracy

Erosive wear of hydraulic machines is a common issue, which results in efficiency degradation, the enhancement of cavitation, and the need for expensive maintenance. Although numerical simulations of the erosion process could be very useful, both for understanding and predicting the process, its multiscale nature renders it very difficult to simulate. A previously validated multiscale model of erosion is presented. It consists of two coupled sub-models: On the microscale, the sediment impacts are simulated by means of comprehensive physical models; on the macroscale, the turbulent sediment transport and erosion accumulation are calculated. A multiscale simulation of the erosion of a prototype-scale Pelton bucket impacted by a sediment-laden water jet is presented. The simulation results, namely the erodent flux and the distributions of average impact angle and velocity on the bucket surface, bring insight into the erosion process. Furthermore, the results explain the obtained erosion distribution, which is in very good agreement with the experimental erosion measurements available in the literature for the same test case.