Modeling Cavitation for Closed Conduit Flow

A portion of a model study is discussed which describes an experimental procedure for determining four cavitation limits and how to evaluate and adjust for scale effects. The item tested was a long radius elbow but the procedure applies to any pipe component or valve used in closed conduit flow. Cavitation limits evaluated are incipient, critical, incipient damage, and choking cavitation. Scale effects assoicated with change in size and velocity of pressure are evaluated and used to adjust the model data to the prototype conditions. No scale effects related to changes in velocity or pressure are found for any of the four cavitation limits. Incipient and critical cavitation are found to change significantly with size of elbow.