The velocities of water and abrasive particles in abrasive waterjet(AWJ) were measured by the use of Laser Transit Anemometer(LTA). A setup for the velocity measurement was constructed and a statistical technique was used to improve the accuracy of the velocity determination. A comparison of the magnitude of velocities determined by LTA, Piezoelectric Force Transducer and Schlieren Photograph clearly indicates the feasibility of the use of LTA.

The velocities of water and particles were measured for different diameters of water and slurry nozzles, abrasive mass flow rates and particle sizes. The performed experiments enabled us to evaluate the effects of conditions of jet formation on the particles velocities. An empirical equation for the prediction of particles velocities was constructed by the use of obtained results. The coefficeint of correlation between experimental and computed results is equal to 0.93. The acquired information can be used to select the operational parameters in AWJ cutting. The obtained results also provide information on the acceleration mechanism of entrained particles, which may be used to improve the design of slurry nozzle.