Erosion of Grooved Surfaces by Cavitating Jet with Hydraulic Oil

To study the effect of impingement surface geometry, a cavitation erosion experiment was conducted using a submerged cavitating jet rig with hydraulic oil. The test setup comprised a test chamber with a long-orifice nozzle, a hydraulic pump with an electric motor, hydraulic auxiliaries, including valves, a cooler, a filter, a reservoir, and measuring instruments, including pressure gages and a thermometer. Hexahedral specimens made of aluminum alloy with flat and grooved surfaces and oblique angles were prepared. Hydraulic oil with a viscosity grade of 32 was used at 40&degC as the test fluid. The upstream absolute pressure was kept at 10.1 MPa and the cavitation numbers were set at 0.02 - 0.04. The results of this experiment yielded the following conclusions. The mass loss of the grooved specimens did not increase monotonically as the exposure time increased. The standoff distances at the maximum mass loss for the flat and grooved specimens were almost equivalent. The mass loss decreased as the oblique angle increased and the cavitation number increased, regardless of the presence of grooves. The surfaces were eroded in a ring-like region, but the region elongated as the angle increased. For the grooved specimens, the ridges on the ring were eroded, and when the directions of the grooves and the flow matched, the roots and flanks were severely eroded.

Geometrical transition properties of vortex cavitation and associated flow-choking characteristics in poppet valves

Poppet valves have become increasingly significant in ensuring precise digital flow rate and pressure control in hydraulic systems,necessitating a more profound understanding of the geometrical properties of cavitation in them,as well as associated flow-choking conditions.Through a comparative analysis with experimentally observed cavity images,we found that large eddy simulation(LES)turbulence modeling effectively replicates the geometrical properties of cavitation in these valves.The analysis demonstrated that cavitation is generated from vortices that result from the interaction between the notch contracta flow and the surrounding fluid structure.Variations in the internal or external vena contracta conditions result in fixed or discrete cavities,and the length-to-diameter ratio serves as a measure of the transition between internal and external vena contracta flow properties.This study establishes a threshold length-to-diameter ratio of approximately 2 for the tested poppet valves.More specifically,in notch structures with a smaller valve opening,longer sealing length,and smaller throttling angle(corresponding to a larger length-to-diameter ratio),the liquid-to-vapor transfer process is more evident than that in the reverse direction.A long-standing vapor cavity becomes fixed inside the notch,leading to a more pronounced flow-choking phenomenon.In contrast,for structures with a smaller length-to-diameter ratio,the cavitation process for discrete vapor cavities is more complete,ensuring fluid flow continuity and significantly reducing the occurrence of the flow-choking phenomenon.