J. W. Cates, A. C. Hall, R. A. Neiser, D. A. Urrea, D. J. Cook, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM; D. A. Hirschfeld, New Mexico Institue of Mining and Technology, Socorro, NM; D. E. Beatty, T. J. Roemer, A. J. Mayer, Ketch Corporation, Albuquerque, NM
The effect of torch hardware, operating parameters, and powder on the substrate surface heat flux was quantitatively investigated using calorimeters. The Sulzer-Metco 6P oxy-acetylene torch with two different nozzles and two different air caps and the Alamo PG-550 torch were studied using designed experiments to show the effects of total combustible gas flow, oxy-fuel ratio, air flow, and standoff distance on surface heat flux. Air caps which directed cooling air toward the flame produced lower heat flux than air caps providing gun cooling. For the 6P torch, nozzle geometry did not have a significant effect on heat flux. With low air flow rates, both torches exhibited similar heat fluxes. At high air flows, the surface heat flux of the PG-550 was larger than those for the 6P.
The effect of torch hardware, operating parameters, and powder on the substrate surface heat flux was quantitatively investigated using button type calorimeters. Nozzle geometry did not have a significant effect on heat flux. Cooling air flow and the presence of powder in the flame did affect heat flux.
