Cavitation

Cavitation is the formation and collapse of vapor-filled cavities in a liquid when local pressure falls below the liquid’s vapor pressure. Their collapse can produce intense pressure pulses, noise, vibration, and material damage.

Vapor pressure: The pressure at which a liquid’s vapor is in equilibrium with the liquid at a given temperature. Cavities form when local liquid pressure drops below this threshold.
Cavitation erosion: Material loss caused by repeated impacts and pressure pulses from collapsing vapor cavities. It is a major consequence of collapse near solid surfaces.
Net positive suction head: A measure of pressure available at a pump inlet above the liquid’s vapor pressure. Engineers use it to assess whether a pump will avoid cavitation.
Boiling: Vapor-bubble formation throughout a liquid when heating brings it to its boiling condition. Unlike cavitation, boiling is driven primarily by heat rather than a local pressure drop.
Rayleigh–Plesset equation: A differential equation describing the radial motion of a spherical gas or vapor bubble in a liquid. It models how pressure changes drive a cavitation bubble’s growth and collapse.
Pitting corrosion: Localized corrosion that creates small cavities or pits in a metal surface. Cavitation damage can expose fresh metal and accelerate localized corrosion.
Cavitation number: A dimensionless ratio comparing pressure above vapor pressure with fluid dynamic pressure. It helps predict when flow conditions will promote cavitation.
Flash evaporation: Rapid vaporization caused when a liquid’s pressure is suddenly reduced below its saturation pressure. It can resemble cavitation, but commonly describes bulk or sustained pressure-driven vaporization.
Bubble dynamics: The study of how bubbles form, move, grow, interact, and collapse in fluids. Cavitation is one case of bubble behavior governed by changing fluid forces.
Sonoluminescence: Light emission from bubbles driven to oscillate by sound waves in a liquid. Extreme conditions during bubble collapse can produce brief flashes of light.

Linked from 38 pages