Method and apparatus for finishing a surface of a component

An apparatus for finishing a surface of a component, the apparatus comprising:

• a cavitation generator configured to generate cavitation bubbles in a flow of liquid contacting the surface of the component;
• an abrasive supply line configured to deliver a flow of abrasives to the surface;
• and
• a controller configured to control the cavitation generator to generate the cavitation bubbles to finish the surface by implosion of the cavitation bubbles and configured to control the flow of the abrasives to finish the surface by abrasion, wherein
• the apparatus further comprises:
• a cavitation chamber in which the component is installed, the cavitation chamber including a nozzle comprising a first passageway located at a central region of the nozzle, and a second passageway configured to receive and deliver the flow of the abrasives to the surface, wherein the second passageway surrounds the first passageway, and wherein the cavitation chamber further includes a discharge line exiting from the cavitation chamber, wherein the discharge line carries at least the flow of the abrasives;
• and
• a filtration system configured to receive at least the flow of the abrasives from the discharge line and recirculate at least the abrasives to the abrasive supply line, and
• the first passageway extends to a first outlet and the second passageway extends to a second outlet, the first and the second outlet being arranged at a common discharge end of the nozzle, and
• the first and second passageways are separated from each other until they exit their respective outlets by a wall between the flow of liquid and the flow of abrasives.