Study of Hydrodynamic Characteristics of the Pulse-Wave Action under Various Process Conditions in Electric-Discharge Machines for the Destruction of Nonmetallic Materials

A method was presented to calculate the parameters of a high-voltage discharge channel (pressure, radius, expansion rate) of electric-discharge machines for the destruction of nonmetallic materials. This method made it possible to study the effect of the parameters (inductance, voltage, and capacitance) on the hydrodynamic parameters of the discharge channel and the generated pressure wave. With an increase in inductance, the pressure and expansion rate of the discharge channel decrease and the voltage increases, which leads to an expansion of the active characteristics of the discharge channel; increasing inductance also causes an increase in capacitance, which leads to an increase in the discharge current; the pressure and expansion rate of the discharge channel remain unchanged. An effective destruction zone was determined, which depends on the cycling parameters, the strength characteristics of the material being destroyed, and the electrical conductivity of the discharge medium. Recommendations were proposed for choosing the process conditions of electric-discharge machines for the disintegration of nonmetallic materials.