hydrodynamic cavitation via an orifice plate

funcentropy

Hello all,
I'm trying to induce hydrodynamic cavitation in a water filled vessel at STP using a high pressure piston pump and an orifice plate.

Does anyone have any knowledge of estimation methods for the relationship between pressure drop, orifice area and cavitation intensity? Clearly the fluid situation isn't a simple one, but I am mainly concerned with determining what threshold the system must cross in order to induce cavitation.

Also, could anyone recommend an easy way to characterize the presence and intensity of the cavitation? I was thinking about using a pH meter to detect the increase in autoprotolysis of the water. Any thoughts on whether or not a standard bench pH meter would be sensitive enough?

Clearly, I'm pretty green on cavitation. While I've found many research papers on Ultrasonic Cavitation, direction to a reference source on Hydrodynamic Cavitation would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

FredGarvin

Well, the easiest thing is to make sure the orifice is small enough that the pressure drop is large enough to bring the absolute pressure below the fluid's vapor pressure. That may be easier said than done since you'll probably experience choked flow before you get there.

I have no idea how cavitation is described or measured. You'll have to do some research on that one. I would imagine it would have something to do with being able to measure bubble size and having that coupled with the pressure of the surrounding fluid.