Cavitation Damage

Erosion–Corrosion in Single‐ and Multiphase Flow

“…The attack is the result of the violent collapse of vapor cavities, or bubbles, <1 mm diameter [47,48] that are formed in a flowing liquid when the hydrostatic pressure drops below the vapor pressure of the fluid. The cavities are carried downstream to higher pressure regions where collapse occurs.…”

“…The cavitation resistance of metals and alloys spans a range of at least two orders of magnitude [44,48], far greater than the conventional strength properties. The velocity exponent varies widely with values usually given in the range 5-8 [48].…”

“…The velocity exponent varies widely with values usually given in the range 5-8 [48]. With such a high-velocity exponent, a small change in operating conditions could lead to serious problems.…”

Erosion–Corrosion: Recognition and Control

“…There is a wide range of polymers with good resistance to cavitation-erosion in addition to excellent resistance to corrosion. For example, high-density polyethylene has a cavitation-erosion resistance similar to that of nickel-based and titanium alloys [32].…”

“…Thus a substantial margin of safety is required if erosion-corrosion is to be avoided. In practice, some cavitation can usually be tolerated and pumps are operated in the NPSH range between cavitation inception and a point where damage is unacceptable [31,32]. If it is wished to maximize efficiency of the pump operation, more cavitation can be accepted and cavitation attack reduced by the selection of more resistant materials.…”