What is the cavitation number at the higher pressures ?

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In summary, the cavitation number in this scenario would be 0.0129, indicating a low potential for cavitation to occur in the water flow. This is due to the relatively low outlet pressure and high inlet pressure, as well as the low velocity at the restriction.
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Dutta
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Consider water flowing through a restriction with a pressure drop of 4 bar. Inlet pressure is 64 bar and the outlet pressure will be 60 bar. A cavitation number, that characterises the potential of the flow to cavitate is give by (p2-pv ) / (0.5 x rho x u x u)

where p2 is the recovered pressure downstream of the restriction which will be 60 bar = 60,000 Pa
PV is the pressure at the vena contracta at the operating temperature, 30 deg C. This pressure is equal to vapor pressure of the water

rho density of water : 998 kg/m3
u : Velocity at the restriction , let's say it is 25 m/s
What should be the Pv here ? still goes by the operating temperature and is regardless of the pressure ?
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/Phase_diagram_of_water.svg
According to this figure the boiling point of water at 60 bar is 275 deg C.
45098 mm hg is the water vapor pressure at 275 deg c

Can someone help me understand to calculating cavitation number here ?
 
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The cavitation number is given by: (p2 - pv) / (0.5 x ρ x u x u)where p2 = 60,000 Pa (outlet pressure) pv = 45098 mm hg (water vapor pressure at 275 deg C) ρ = 998 kg/m3 (density of water) u = 25 m/s (velocity at the restriction) Therefore, the cavitation number is: (60000 - 45098) / (0.5 x 998 x 25 x 25) = 0.0129
 

1. What is cavitation number?

The cavitation number is a dimensionless parameter used in fluid dynamics to characterize the occurrence of cavitation, which is the formation and subsequent collapse of cavities or bubbles in a liquid due to changes in pressure.

2. How is cavitation number calculated?

The cavitation number is calculated by dividing the difference between the pressure at a specific point in a fluid and the vapor pressure of the fluid by the dynamic pressure of the fluid flow.

3. What is the significance of cavitation number?

The cavitation number is important because it helps determine the potential for cavitation to occur in a fluid flow system. Higher cavitation numbers indicate a lower likelihood of cavitation, while lower numbers indicate a higher likelihood.

4. How does cavitation number change at higher pressures?

At higher pressures, the cavitation number generally decreases. This means that as the pressure increases, the likelihood of cavitation occurring decreases. However, this relationship can vary depending on the fluid properties and flow conditions.

5. What are the limitations of using cavitation number?

Cavitation number is a useful tool for predicting cavitation, but it does have limitations. It assumes the fluid is homogeneous and incompressible, and it does not take into account other factors such as turbulence or temperature. Additionally, the critical cavitation number for a specific fluid can vary depending on the geometry and conditions of the system.

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