Vapor Cavity Collapse Downstream from Orifice Plates

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title/Conference

Journal of Hydraulic Research

Volume

46

Issue

6

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

Publication Date

12-1-2008

First Page

830

Last Page

834

Abstract

Cavitation is the rapid vaporization and condensation of a liquid and was a focus of study for years because of its negative impacts on hydraulic systems including noise, vibration, erosion damage, pressure fluctuations, and loss of efficiency. Supercavitation is described as a state of cavitation where the vapor cavity extends to many diameters downstream of the equipment that is causing the cavitation and terminates in abrupt vapor cavity collapse. Although an important topic, the literature contains limited information pertaining to the geometry of the collapse and the length of the vapor cavity. This study was commissioned to investigate the characteristics of the vapor cavity downstream from a supercavitating orifice plate and provide information about vapor cavity collapse location and vapor cavity stability. Four different orifice geometries were evaluated with a variety of flow conditions passing through the orifice. The results of this study show that the vapor cavity collapse location is stable and predictable using the equations developed.

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