Analyse du mécanisme de l'érosion de cavitation

An analysis of cavitation erosion

Electricité de France, Direction des Etudes et Recherches. 6, quai Watier, 78-Chatou.

Résumé

Use of the impact erosion method with a specimen in the path of a jet to study resistance to cavitation erosion is attractive because it is simple and its results are visibly similar to the effects of cavitations, but its limits of applicability still remained to be determined. With the impact erosion installation used, the results obtained could be related to existing data on water impact against a solid wall. The process involved in jet erosion is described. The crushing process of cavitation bubbles is discussed, showing that microscopic jets form and that the principle of their action is similar to that of impact erosion. Detailed comparison of both erosion methods shows identical wear appearance and similar development of wear over a period of time, and it also yields an equivalence relationship between the microscopic bubble jets and the macroscopic jet produced by the impact erosion machine. It can be concluded from this analogy that the impact erosion method is suitable for cavitation erosion analysis and the investigation of the relative erosion resistance of materials.