Cavitation

 Contents:
 Occurence of cavitation in turbomachinery with
liquids: movie Examples of Cavitation
 Cavitation effects in turbomachinery performance
 Net Positive Suction Head (NPSH)
 Suction specific velocity
 Thoma’s Coefficient
 Exercises
Cavitation
 Cavitation: evaporation, followed by
condensation (almost instantaneously)
 How to detect cavitation:
 Change in performance curves
 Visual observation of bubble formation
 Noise and vibrations
 Cavitation effects:
 Noise, vibration
 Material erosion
 Performance reduction (efficiency, etc.)
Occurrence of Cavitation in pumps
 In the figure below p1 is less than the atmosferic
pressure. If p1 < pvap (T) Evaporation
However minimum pressure occurs inside the pump
 pmin < pvap (T) Evaporation cavitation

Pumps

Pump

Head loses in suction

pipe
 Occurrence of Cavitation in pumps
Compression face

Suction face

pmin  p1  p  pvap

Minimum
to avoid cavitation Pressure
Occurrence of Cavitation in pumps

 To avoid cavition: Hs > Hsi

p1  p  pvap p1  pvap  p

p1 V12 pvap p V12

   
g 2 g g g 2 g
Pump Piping System (Hs) Pump (NPSH)
 p0 pvap 
po   es  Z asp  
 g g 

p1 p0 V12
   es  Z asp
g g 2 g
Occurrence of Cavitation in pumps
p1 V12 pvap
 Suction Head (𝐻𝑠 ): Hs   
g 2 g g
it only depends on piping system

p V12
 NPSH (also 𝐻𝑠𝑖 critical value of 𝐻𝑠 ): NPSH  H si  
g 2 g
it only depends of the pump

 Curves of Hsi are given by the pump supplier:

Hsi = F(Q,N,D,,, geometric parameters)
 Occurrence of Cavitation in pumps
 NPSH - Hsi
(it only depends on the
pump) p V12
H si  
g 2 g

 Plots of H, and Hsi for the pump

original diameter (260 mm) and
after turning (“torneamento”)
Occurrence of Cavitation in turbines
 Now, head loses in the diffuser (part of the supply) are
included in the NPSH definition

Hydraulic Turbines

Applying Bernoulli’s equation:

No cavitation if
Hs > Hsi
Occurrence of Cavitation
 NPSH: p V12
H si  
it only depends of the machine g 2 g

Hsi = F(Q,N,D,,, geometrical parameters)

H si  Q ND 2 
 Applying dimensional analysis: i   f  , 
H  ND
3
 
Critical Thoma´s negligible Re
Coefficient influence

 No cavitation if:  > i

Thoma´s Coefficient  = Hs/H only depends on piping system
Occurrence of Cavitation
N Q
 Suction specific velocity: S
gH s 3 4
 Critical suction specific velocity
N Q  Q 
Si   F 3 
gH si 3 4  ND 

 No cavitation if S < Si

 We can use Si or i
Occurrence of Cavitation
 Critical suction specific velocity:
N Q  Q 
Si   F 3 
gH si 3 4  ND 
H si  Q 
 Critical Thoma´s Coefficient: i   f 3 
H  ND 

 Turbomachines of same geometrical family have

equal (Si)max and (i )max
Occurrence of Cavitation
 Reference values:
 Pumps: 2,5 < (Si)max = F() < 3,5 (Si)max = 3
 Turbines: 3,5 < (Si)max = F() < 5,2 (Si)max = 4
Occurrence of
Cavitation

Pump
Turbine
 Problems 5 and 8
Problems 5 and 8 – The pump, with the attached performance curves and a
D=265 mm rotor, delivers a flow of 260 m3/h when installed in a given piping
system (reservoirs open to the atmosphere and with 12 m head difference).
It is intended to decrease the flow rate to 180 m3/h; 4 possible solutions for this
are considered:
a) Partially close discharge pipe valve;
b) Adjustment of the rotation speed;
c) Turning the rotor diameter (use given performance curves for rotor diameters
less than 265mm);
d) Installing a re-circulating circuit by connecting the pump outlet to its inlet in
such a way that some pump flow recirculates and the flow in the main duct is
the desired flow rate of 180 m3/h.

Assuming fully turbulent flow at the pipe, find the pump power consumption and
the maximum height above the upstream reservoir free-surface for each of the
four possible control processes used to deliver 180m3/h to the downstream
reservoir. Assume that atmospheric pressure applies at the free-surface of the two
reservoirs and Zasp=0,5 m (for 180 m3/h), pvap=2,45 kPa and patm=101,3 kPa)
Problems 5 and 8 –piping system characteristic

0
17

pump

Piping system
characteristics
𝐻 = 12 + 𝑘𝑄2

𝑘 = 7.4 × 10−5 𝑚 𝑚3 ℎ 2
Problems 5 and 8 a) – Valve adjustment

pump

Power: 𝑃 = 𝜌𝑔𝑄𝐻 𝜂
= 13646 𝑊

Maximum height:
1.8 𝑒𝑠 ≤ 9.59 − 𝐻𝑠𝑖 = 7.79𝑚
Problems 5 and 8 b) – Rotational speed
adjustment
𝐻 = 4.44 × 10−4 𝑄2
Operation point (2):
3
𝑄 = 180 𝑚3 ℎ
2 𝐻 = 14,4 𝑚

Efficiency of point 2?
𝜂 = 80%
Power: 𝑃 = 𝜌𝑔𝑄𝐻 𝜂
= 8820 𝑊

Maximum height:
𝑒𝑠 ≤ 9.59 − 𝐻𝑠𝑖 = 8.12𝑚

𝐻𝑠𝑖 = 1.47 𝑚
Computed from same
Thoma’s Coefficients between
points 2 and 3
Problems 5 and 8 c)– Rotor diameter adjustment

Operation point (2):

𝑄 = 180 𝑚3 ℎ
2 𝐻 = 14,4 𝑚

Efficiency of point 2?
𝜂 = 75%
Power: 𝑃 = 𝜌𝑔𝑄𝐻 𝜂
= 9408 𝑊

Maximum height:
𝑒𝑠 ≤ 9.59 − 𝐻𝑠𝑖 = 8.12𝑚

𝐻𝑠𝑖 = 1.8 𝑚
Problems 5 and 8 d) – Recirculation circuit

Operation point (4)?

𝐻 = 14,4 𝑚
𝑄 = 280 𝑚3 ℎ
4
𝜂 = 68%
Power: 𝑃 = 𝜌𝑔𝑄𝐻 𝜂
= 16142 𝑊

Maximum height:
𝑒𝑠 ≤ 9.59 − 𝐻𝑠𝑖 = 8.12𝑚
𝐻𝑠𝑖 = 3.5 𝑚

recirculation