Measurement and numerical simulation of particle velocity in cold spraying

The velocity of cold spray particles was measured by a diagnostic system designed for thermal spray particles that is based on thermal radiation. A laser beam was used to illuminate the cold spray particles in cold spraying to obtain a sufficient radiant energy intensity for detection. The measurement was carried out for copper particles of different mean particle sizes. The particle velocity was also estimated using a two-dimensional axisymmetric model developed previously. The simulated velocity agreed well with the measured result. This fact indicates that particle velocity in cold spraying can be predicted reasonably by simulation. Therefore, it is possible to optimize the cold spray process with the aid of the simulation results.