On the criteria of large cavitation bubbles in a tube during a transient process

Abstract

Extreme cavitation scenarios, such as water column separations in hydraulic systems during transient processes caused by large cavitation bubbles, can lead to catastrophic destruction. In the present paper, we study the onset criteria and dynamics of large cavitation bubbles in a tube. A new cavitation number is the reference pressure in the far field. The analytical results are validated against systematic experiments using a modified ‘tube-arrest’ apparatus, which can decouple acceleration and velocity. The results in the current work can guide design and operation of hydraulic systems encountering transient processes.