The liquid impact properties of a range of infra-red and optical transmitting materials have been investigated using the liquid jet impact technique. In particular the effects of temperature and pre-existing stress fields on the liquid impact performance of certain materials have been examined. Consideration of these aspects of liquid impact has been supplemented by measurements of related fracture properties. The correlation between liquid jet impact and liquid drop impact has been re-examined for normal impact by comparing impacts on perspex. This correlation has been extended to consider angled impact. Components that are subjected to liquid impact may simultaneously be subjected to elevated temperatures. A system has been developed to allow experimental investigation of the liquid impact performance of materials at elevated temperatures. Preliminary results were obtained on a polymer (PEEK). The amount of damage resulting from liquid impact increased with temperature. Subsequently two brittle materials (glass and zinc sulphide) were investigated. Thermal shock has been shown to be the dominant failure mechanism for these materials at temperatures of 300<SUP>o</SUP>C and greater. Pre-existing stresses in a material can affect not only its static but also its dynamic loading response. The liquid impact performance and some associated fracture properties of toughened glass systems have been investigated. Chemically and thermally toughened systems were compared. There is a small increase in the threshold velocity for the toughened glasses considered compared to soda-lime glass. The toughening stresses distributions led to differences in the behaviour under single and multiple impact. A novel computer simulation of liquid impact onto pre-stressed substrates has been developed. It is based on the interaction of a model Rayleigh surface wave with a flaw distribution. Good agreement with experiment was obtained for a thermal toughening stress distribution.

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Ce manuscrit a pour but d'étudier un nouveau dispositif générateur de cavitation dont le potentiel favorable à l'intensification de réactions chimiques est évalué. Ce dispositif est constitué d'une plaque mobile qui frappe un liquide contenu dans un réacteur. L'impact génère une forte augmentation de pression dans le milieu suivi d'une dépressurisation. Nous montrons que la couche de gaz/vapeur piégée entre le piston et la surface du liquide influence les pics de pression et les fréquences générées dans le milieu. La visualisation à l'aide d'une caméra rapide montre que la dépressurisation active les sites de nucléation à l'origine des bulles de cavitation qui grandissent et implosent en générant occasionnellement des jets de grande vitesse. Nous étudions aussi la réponse de bulles préexistantes. Nous identifions un rayon de bulle critique qui dépend de la hauteur d'impact, de la pression extérieure et des caractéristiques du piston. Les bulles dont le rayon initial est supérieur à la valeur critique implosent au moment de l'impact, tandis que les petites bulles ne sont activées qu'après (sous tension). Des évolutions de pression différentes sont observées après l'impact en fonction de la présence/absence de grandes bulles. Nous étudions enfin l'oxydation du phénol en montrant que l'impact sur l'eau pure est incapable de générer des espèces radicalaires responsables de la dégradation. En ajoutant du peroxyde d'hydrogène comme oxydant, la molécule est décomposée sous certaines conditions. En général, la quantité d'oxydant requise pour déclencher une oxydation significative diminue lors de l'augmentation de l'intensité de l'impact sur lequel dépend le taux de dégradation. / This manuscript aims at characterizing a new device based on a plate impact on a liquid surface to generate cavitation and evaluate its potential to induce chemical reactions. The device is composed of a reactor containing a liquid that a piston hits due to pressure difference. This impact generates a strong and uniform pressure increase in the medium followed by a depressurization. We show that the gas/vapor layer trapped between the piston and the liquid free surface influences the pressure peaks and frequencies generated in the medium. High-speed camera visualization shows that depressurization activates nucleation sites leading to bubble appearance in the solution. Bubbles expand and collapse intensively generating high velocity jets under some conditions. We also investigate the response of pre-existing bubbles. We identify a critical bubble radius that depends on the impact height, external pressure and piston’s characteristics. Bubbles with an initial radius larger than the critical one collapse at the moment of impact while smaller bubbles are only activated after it (under tension). Significant differences are observed in the pressure recordings after the impact depending on the presence/absence of large bubbles. We finally study the oxidation of phenol. We show that impacting on pure water is incapable of generating radical species responsible of the degradation. By adding hydrogen peroxide as an oxidant we show that the molecule is decomposed under certain conditions. In general, the amount of hydrogen peroxide required to initiate a significant oxidation decreases when increasing the intensity of the impact on which the degradation rate mainly depends.

Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited / Resonant excitation tests of rotor blades in vacuum spin pits using discrete oil jets showed that impact erosion of the blades could limit test times, but lower excitation amplitudes were produced using mist nozzles. Smaller diameter discrete jets might extend test times, but to fully prevent erosion, oil mist droplet size needed to be 30 microns or less. The present study examined both approaches. Prototype nozzles were developed to create 0.005 inch diameter multiple discrete jets using first alumina, then stainless steel tubing, laser and micro-machine drilling. The latter technique was selected and 50 were manufactured for evaluation in HCF spin tests. A vacuum test chamber was built to observe and photograph spray patterns from the prototype nozzles and from commercially available mist nozzles. An LDV system was used successfully to determine the velocity of the oil droplets within the mist. A complete mapping of mist nozzle sprays is required to allow routine design of blade excitation systems. / Lieutenant, United States Navy