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
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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.