Optimization of painting efficiency applying unique techniques of high-voltage conductors and nitrotherm spray: Developing deep learning models using computational fluid dynamics dataset

Abstract

The impetus of the current three-dimensional Eulerian–Lagrangian work is to analyze the impact of simultaneously using the inventive high-voltage conductors and Nitrotherm spraying technique for maximizing the industrial painting process efficiency. This investigation employs high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics (CFD) results in deep learning models as an input dataset. The novel conductors are called high-voltage retractable blades (HVRB) and high-voltage adjustable control-ring (HVACR) mounted on the head of the electrostatic rotating bell sprayer. The influence of dominant operational parameters, such as temperature and velocity of injected nitrogen or air, droplets' electric charge values, and their size ranges, and electric field density are examined in the considered database for the Nitrotherm spraying methodology. This broad range of parametric investigation illustrates that the inclusion of shaping nitrogen flow, manipulated electric field density, and droplet charging weights significantly affect the spraying deposition rate. The pressurized clean heated nitrogen flow, which is injected from the nozzles of the atomizers, positively redirects and harmonizes the charged droplets that construct an optimized spray plume pattern with a smaller diameter. Using innovative HVRB and HVACR conductors is manipulated the electric fields and leads to denser distribution, intensifying the acting electric force on the droplets, resulting in higher spraying transfer efficiency (TE) and thicker film formation. Based on the results, employing the introduced conductors in combination with the heated nitrogen instead of air leads to higher TE, rare overspray occurrence, formation of an esthetic paint film, lower paint consumption, and application time. Also, the collected complete database is employed for machine learning investigation to predict flow with high accuracy, aiming to reduce computational time/cost. A convolutional auto-encoder is used to reduce the computational cost with just 10% of the initial CFD computations, with a mean error of 1% on the prediction of the deposited droplet areas of the spray. The analysis revealed that by employing recurrent convolutional layers, superior capturing of the input pattern is obtained, which significantly aids the final prediction.