ESCUELA POLITCNICA NACIONAL

MAESTRA EN SISTEMAS DE TRANSPORTE DE PETRLEO Y DERIVADOS

Cavitation in Hydraulic Machines


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Cavitation in Hydraulic Machines

Jos L. Tierra C.
(1)

e-mail: jocluis.tc@hotmail.com

(1)
Escuela Politcnica Nacional, Quito-Ecuador

01 de Mayo de 2014
_____________________________________________________________________

Abstract












1. Effects of Cavitation

An example of wear caused by
cavitation in an impeller of a centrifugal
pump.





Fig 1. Impeller for a centrifugal pump cavitation
effects affected.


The blades of an impeller of a
pump moves through a fluid, the low
pressure areas are formed when the
fluid is accelerated through the blades.

The faster moving blades is lower
pressure around them, until the vapor
pressure, the fluid is vaporized to form
small vapor bubbles to collapse causing
audible pressure waves and wear on the
blades is reached.

Cavitation in pumps may occur in
two different ways: Cavitation suction
and discharge.

Suction cavitation causes the liquid
to a vapor inlet of the impeller, at
the time a violent implosion over the
surface of the wheel occurs.

Cavitation is a hydrodynamic effect which occurs when water or any other
fluid is passed at high speed on an edge, resulting in a decompression of the
fluid until the vapor pressure of the liquid is reached so that the molecules
that compose change immediately vapor state, forming bubbles or, more
correctly, cavities.

The collapse of the cavities, when they are near the walls, carries an
undesirable effect on hydraulic machines, such an effect is the "erosion" the
material to the point of destroying it.
ESCUELA POLITCNICA NACIONAL
MAESTRA EN SISTEMAS DE TRANSPORTE DE PETRLEO Y DERIVADOS
Cavitation in Hydraulic Machines


2


A impeller who has worked under
suction cavitation condition has large
cavities caused by torn pieces of
material by the phenomenon, this causes
premature pump failure.

Discharge cavitation usually
occurs in a pump which is running
at less than 10% of the best
efficiency point.

As the liquid flows around the
impeller must pass a very high speed
through a small opening between the
impeller and the pump tajamar. This
velocity caused by the vacuum in the
cutwater (similar to that occurring in a
venturi phenomenon) which causes the
liquid to produce a vapor.

2. Methods of reducing erosion by
cavitation effects

Cavitation cannot be completely
eliminated, or in many cases is wasteful
try. However erosion by it shall be
maintained in an acceptable minimum.

To achieve this minimum can act
on non-geometric and geometric
parameters of the machine.

Geometric Parameterss

Maintaining local pressure
coefficient on as high as possible (angle
of attack of the blades of the
turbomachinery) profile.

Decrease in surface roughness of the
impeller, because the individual
irregularities form reliefs are the most
frequent causes of cavitation roughness
evenly distributed throughout the
surface.


Not Geometric Parameters

Cathodic protection is used to
suppress the electrochemical effects to
the electrolytic formation of gas.

Organic additives which reduce the
surface tension at the same time
depositing a thin organic film on the
surface to be protected. This coating
renews itself constantly providing
protection against cavitation attack.

A metallic coating on a machine
generally results in much cavitation
resistance than a base metal the same
chemical composition as the coating
due to the difference in structure.