R. J. Issa, F. J. Davis, West Texas A&M University, Canyon, TX
An experimental study is carried out for the quenching of a stainless steel plate using a single heated oil jet impinging on the bottom surface of the plate. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of the oil jet flow operating conditions onto the heat transfer effectiveness in the quenching of the stainless steel plate heated to temperatures ranging from 100 to 900 oC. Tests are conducted on the oil at its operating temperature to determine its thermal properties. Experiments are conducted for nozzle exit flow rates ranging from 113 to 381 ml/min, oil jet pressures from 3.1 to 12 psi, and nozzle-to-plate surface distances of 0.6 and 1 cm. The variation of the oil heat flux with the surface temperature for the different quenching parameters is calculated from the acquired test data. Tests results show the oil heat transfer effectiveness increases with the surface temperature and drops considerably as the plate temperature approaches the Leidenfrost point for oil. Oil jet pressure is shown to have a considerable effect on the oil heat transfer, while the nozzle-to-plate surface distance is shown to have a much less effect. The results of this study shall lead to a better understanding of the parameters that play an important role in oil quenching for applications that are of interest to the metal process industry.
Summary: An experimental study is carried out for the quenching of a stainless steel plate using a single heated oil jet impinging on the bottom surface of the plate. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of the oil jet flow operating conditions onto the heat transfer effectiveness in the quenching of the stainless steel plate heated to temperatures ranging from 100 to 900 degrees Centigrade. The variation of the oil heat flux with the surface temperature for the different quenching parameters is calculated from the acquired temperature test data. The results of this study shall lead to a better understanding of the parameters that play an important role in the oil quenching of steel products.
