Dr subhash technical campus Centrifugal pumps

Centrifugal Pumps - Cavitation

• When the pressure falls below the vapour pressure of the liquid at a
• given temperature, boiling occurs and small bubbles of vapour are
• formed. These bubbles will grow in the low-pressure area and implode when they are transported to an area of pressure above vapour pressure.
• The term given to this local vaporisation of the fluid is Cavitation.

Centrifugal Pumps - Cavitation

• The collapsing of the bubbles is the area of Cavitation we are concerned with, as extremely high pressures are produced, which causes noise and erosion of the metal surface.
• The area of pipeline where Cavitation mainly occurs is the pump suction, where the liquid is subjected to a rapid rise in velocity, and hence a fall in static pressure.