FEATURES PUMP SYSTEMS

Q&A: PUMP CAVITATION DIAGNOSIS AND CONTROL

Dale Conway, vice president of engineering for Thompson Pump, elds questions about pump cavitation and
provides insights on strategies for e ective diagnosis and control of cavitation in pumping systems.

DALE CONWAY — FEBRUARY 18, 2010 SHARE ON:     

  iStock/grafvision

Dale Conway is vice president of engineering for Thompson Pump. In this position, he
oversees all engineering departments and technical aspects of the pump business,
such as manufacturing engineering, quality assurance and research & development.
Mr. Conway earned a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University
of Central Florida. He is a trained ISO-9001 internal auditor and successfully
implemented an ISO-9001-compliant quality management system at Thompson
Pump. He has attended and taught many pump- and pump cavitation-related
seminars throughout the country and has authored several technical papers. Mr.
Conway can be reached at 800 767-7310 or dconway@thompsonpump.com.

Q: Pump cavitation is typically classi ed into two general categories –

inertial and noninertial cavitation. What is the di erence between
inertial cavitation and noninertial cavitation? Dale Conway
VP of Engineering,
Thompson Pump
A: Cavitation in general terms is used to describe the behavior of voids or bubbles in liquid. Any time a owing
liquid falls below its vapor pressure, vapor bubbles can form. If the owing liquid is then subjected to pressures
above the vapor pressure, these bubbles can implode causing damage, which is called cavitation. Pump cavitation
is usually divided into two classes of behavior: inertial (or transient) cavitation, and noninertial cavitation. Inertial
cavitation is the process where a void or bubble in a liquid rapidly collapses, producing a shock wave. Noninertial
cavitation is the process in which a bubble in a uid is forced to oscillate in size or shape due to some form of
energy input, such as an acoustic eld.

Q: What are the typical causes of pump cavitation? What are the typical end results of cavitation in
pumping systems?

A: The cause of cavitation in pumps is usually due to insu cient NPSH (Net Positive Suction Head) energy on the
suction side of the pump. NPSH is the energy required to push the liquid into the pump. This can be caused by:

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Having the pump at too high of a distance above the uid source
Having too small of a diameter of suction pipe
Having too long of a distance of suction pipe
Having too many ttings on the suction pipe
Handling a liquid with a low vapor pressure
Running the pump too fast

The end result of cavitation is the collapse of the vapor bubbles inside the pump, which can cause several
problems. The rst problem is a reduction in the pumping capacity of the pump. If the pump is unable to keep up
with the incoming ow, then an over ow situation may occur. Cavitation also causes damage to the pump. The
collapsing vapor bubbles can cause excessive vibration, which can cause rotating parts, such as the impeller, to
contact non-rotating parts, such as the wear plates or wear rings, causing damage. Excessive vibration may also
cause premature failure to mechanical seals and bearings. Cavitation can also damage the wetted components
themselves from contact with the imploding vapor bubbles. In these instances, the energy that is released when
the vapor bubbles implode causes pieces of the metal to break o and collide with other moving parts. The
damage typically occurs to the impeller and can severely reduce the operating life of the pump.

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Q: What are some common warning signs that may signal the end-user that they are experiencing
pump cavitation?
A: If the pump is cavitating, it will typically vibrate, deliver less ow and make a noise that sounds like marbles
going through the pump. The sound may start out at a low level and increase in intensity over time as material is
chipped away and the surface of the parts becomes rougher. This is due to the additional energy required by the
drag (friction) on the uid from contacting the rough internal surfaces of the pump.

Cavitation is often confused with another phenomenon called air entrainment. Air entrainment occurs when air is
allowed to enter the pump on the suction side and expands as it enters the impeller eye. This can often reduce the
ow of the pump and cause vibration from disrupting the laminar ow stream through the pump. Air entrainment
can cause similar damage to bearings and seals. Unlike cavitation, however, this problem can be easily remedied
by simply identifying air leaks and xing them.

An interesting point about cavitation and air entrainment is that some experienced pump users have actually
injected small amounts of air into pumps that were cavitating to attempt to stop cavitation. By injecting air into a
pump that is cavitating, the air bubbles cushion the impact of the imploding vapor bubbles and reduce the NPSHr
of the pump, thus lessening the cavitation. This technique, however, should only be used by skilled pump
technicians, as too much air can cause priming problems and, further, adding air typically reduces the pump’s
capacity, which could cause an over ow condition.

Q: Why is cavitation so prevalent in and around the pumping system as compared to other segments
of the process line? What other segments of the process line are particularly susceptible to
cavitating conditions?
A: Cavitation frequently occurs in pumps because of the varying pressures in pumps. Centrifugal pumps operate
from the principle of creating a low pressure at the eye (center) of the impeller, and atmospheric pressure forces
the uid to the eye to ll the void. As the uid approaches the eye of the impeller, the pressure drops, and if the
pressure drops below the vapor pressure of the particular liquid, it will boil and cause vapor bubbles to form. As
the uid leaves the impeller eye, it is now exposed to higher pressures (due to the rotation of the impeller inside
the casing), which can rise above the vapor pressure of the liquid, causing the vapor bubbles to implode.

Cavitation can also occur in valves where the pressure drops suddenly and there is a chance for the uid to drop
below its vapor pressure. This can often occur in throttling type valves, such as gate valves or ball valves. If the
pressure di erential from one side of the valve to the other becomes too great, the uid can vaporize across the
valve and implode on the downstream side of the valve. The way to avoid cavitation in valves is to size them
properly for the proper velocities. Valves are typically sized for velocities less than 15 feet per second to avoid the
possibility of cavitation.

Q: What are some common best practices end-users can employ to prevent pump cavitation?
A: Always calculate the NPSHa (Net Positive
Suction Head available) from the system, and
compare it with the NPSHr (Net Positive Suction
Head required) by the pump. The NPSHa should
always be one to two feet above the NPSHr of the
pump to prevent cavitation.

The NPSHr is a function of the pump design and

cannot be changed. The NPSHa is a function of
the system parameters and can be changed.
Included in the NPSHa is the atmospheric
pressure, vapor pressure of the liquid being
pumped, static height from the water level to the The collapse of vapor bubbles inside a pump can cause severe
pump, and friction losses. The atmospheric cavitation damage on the impeller, resulting in negative process
pressure is related to the altitude. At higher conditions such as vibration, decreased ow, and noise.
altitudes, the atmospheric pressure is less and
subsequently there is not as much energy available to push the liquid into the pump. The vapor pressure varies by
the type of liquid and the temperature of the liquid. If the liquid is allowed to cool before the pump, it can often be
pumped easier. Regarding the static height from the uid level to the pump, it is often possible to move the pump
closer to the uid to increase the NPSHa. To reduce the friction losses, larger diameter pipes can often be
employed to increase the NPSHa and thus prevent pump cavitation.

If it is not possible to increase the NPSHa as described above, then the pump user should search for a larger pump
or pump that runs at a lower speed with lower NPSHr.

Q: From a technology perspective, what systems can end-users employ to help them more e ectively
diagnose and mitigate pump cavitation?

A: The most e ective solution is to listen to the pump and to evaluate the ow. Flow can best be determined using
owmeters, and there are several types commercially available, depending on the type of uid being moved.
Listening to the pump can be accomplished by the naked ear by trained personnel or by using suitable noise level
meters. More sophisticated vibration measuring equipment can also be employed to detect cavitation. These
portable devices can connect to the pump bearing housings to detect movement (displacement) in the pumping
system.

Q: In your experience, what are some of the most troublesome application occurrences of pump
cavitation? How were these cavitation issues resolved?
A: Among the most common applications that are susceptible to cavitation are applications that have high-suction
lifts with little-to-no discharge heads, as is the case with bypassing sewage from manholes. In these applications,
the duty point does not fall on the typical performance curve because there is insu cient discharge pressure. In
these applications, it is called operating “too far to the right of the curve.” The way to x this is to put arti cial
pressure on the discharge of the pump. This can be accomplished by using smaller-diameter discharge hose or
placing a throttling valve in the discharge line.
Other examples are pumping heated liquids that are already close to their boiling points. In these instances, the
uid cannot be lifted and must be provided a suitable distance above the height of the pump.

www.thompsonpump.com
 

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