Student: Lucas Ariel Martinez

Supervisor: Björn Andersson

Examiner: Lars Davidson

Division: Fluid Dynamics

Opponent: NN

The Electrostatic Rotary Bell Sprayer (ERBS) technique is a painting process where a high-speed rotating device with high electric potential atomizes the paint producing charged droplets and sprays them through the air onto a surface. These devices commonly use a shaping-air system, which in conjunction with the lectrostatic forces present, direct the particles to the target.

There is a tendency towards the use of this highly utomated painting technique in industries like the automotive industry, with high volume production environments, because of its superior transfer efficiency and high-quality finishing. In the present research, a computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) solver developed at the Fraunhofer-Chalmers Centre (FCC) is employed to perform simulations of an ERBS system. The focus is set specifically on simulating the region near the applicator bell. By accurately simulating this region a good understanding of the active processes close to the bell can be gained.

For this purpose, a framework was created to analyze and collect fluid and particle statistics, sampled over a plane close to the bottom of the bell. This information is then stored and readily available to use as input conditions for coarser simulations over larger areas, which can include the target to be painted, without the extra difficulties and costs of having to take into consideration the complicated physics present in the near-bell region.