Design of a high pressure fluid intensifier

In this thesis the design of the major components of a high pressure intensifier is presented. The machine is a high pressure fluid intensifier which can develop an intermittent water jet of .01112 inches in diameter at a pressure of 100,000 psi and a flow rate of .9508 gpm. This machine can be used to study the capabilities of high pressure water jets to cut high compressive strength rocks. The primary machine elements of the intensifier system are the source, charging system, valve system, nozzle, and the intensifier. The source will be a Kobe Triplex Pump having a variable output with a maximum of 10,000 psi water and soluble oil mixture at a flow rate of 11.5 gpm. The charging system will be a Burks Series CT Turbine Type Pump with an output of 5 gpm at a pressure of 150 psi. The valve system will consist of three 4 gpm capacity solenoid operated valves manifolded together operating on 115 vac voltage. The nozzle with a diameter of .01112 inches causes enough restriction to a flow rate of .9508 gpm to produce a pressure of 100,000 psi. The intensifier is a single reciprocating piston arrangement with a piston area amplification ratio of 12:1. With a variable intensifier source the output of the intensifier is also variable. Further pressure variation can be achieved by a change of nozzle diameter. The intensifier will be cycled by two externally mounted microswitches that actuate the valve system when tripped by a plate bolted to the reciprocating piston cylinder. The distance between the microswitches can be adjusted, changing the intensifier length of stroke and therefore the cycles per minute of the intensifier. With the microswitch roller contacts 0.5 inches apart the cycling rate is at a maximum of 74.0 cpm. The cycling rate is a minimum of 5.68 cpm with the microswitch roller contacts 6.5 inches apart. The intensifier has a total length of 74.0 inches from the nozzle gland valve to the end of the input tube at full return position. The intensifier will be mounted on a concrete pad and secured by plates bolted to ·the intensifier and bolted to threaded rods secured in the concrete pad --Abstract, pages ii-iii