1

CAVITATION IN PUMPS
AND IMPORTANCE OF
CALCULATING
NET POSITIVE
SUCTION HEAD IN
PREVENTING IT

by: Group 4
 Topics
2

what is CAVITATION and how it's

controlled?
what is NPSH? how it is related to
cavitation? show its derivation from the
OMEB equation.
illustrate how to use a typical centrifugal
pump characteristics chart
3 Cavitation
Damage to propeller vane due to Cavitation
 Cavitation
4

There is a corresponding pressure in

liquid saturation in front of each
temperature
Evaporation due to decrease in pressure:
 Cavitation
5

Vapor bubbles flow with liquid to other

points with higher pressure
Collapse (implosion) of vapor bubbles
Generating high-pressure pulses
Erosion of pump vanes
Dangerous and damaging to pumps in
short period of time
 Cavitation
6

Major pump parts Cavitation and Implosion

 Cavitation
7

Implosion of bubbles
8 Cavitation
Potential Cavitation Areas
 Cavitation
9

Symptoms:

1. Reduction of volumetric flow rate

(Dbit)
2. Decrease in efficiency (Rendement) of
the pump
3. Vibration
4. A special discontinues noise: similar to
sound of some bullets hitting a metal
surface!
10 Cavitation
 NPSH
11

Total pressure of fluid in suction eye of

pump compared to evaporation pressure
of fluid in pumping temperature
Unit:
SI: metre
Imperial: foot
Types:
NPSHAV
NPSHreq
 NPSH
12

NPSHAV or NPSHA :actual pressure of the

fluid in the suction eye of the
pump

NPSHreq: Minimum pressure needed in

the suction eye of the pump in
order to prevent cavitation
(presented by Manufacturer)
13 NPSH
Pump Factory Head-Capacity Diagram
 NPSH
14

To reduce the NPSHreq:

pump with less circular velocity
more pumps or using a double-suction eyed
pump
specially designed suction-eye propeller
(only specific volumetric flow rates)
 NPSH
15

Ways to increase NPSHA:

putting suction source or total system

under pressure to increase pump suction
pressure
if fluid temp. is high, feed source should be
on a higher position than pump and under
pressure
low fluid velocity
reducing the losses in suction pipe
 NPSH
16

Maximum suction height (Zs max):

maximum altitude that pump can be
installed upper than free surface of the
liquid

if Zs max < pump altitude Cavitation

 NPSHA derivation
17
 NPSHA = Psuction Pvapor

NPSHA = hs - hvpIn terms of head:

:Derivation from OMEB

F + Ws = 0 +

h s : ( =1)
F - -
 NPSHA = hs h
vp

:Derivation from OMEB

:h s

= ; ghs F

; P1 = Patm hf
 NPSHA = hs h
vp

hf

:Derivation from OMEB

:N P S H A
Centrifugal Pump Characteristics Chart

Title Box
Pressure Head

Impeller diameter

Flow rate
Centrifugal Pump Characteristics Chart

NPS
H R

Brake horsepower
Centrifugal Pump Characteristics
Chart

Efcie
ncy

Minimum Flow
Centrifugal Pump Characteristics
Chart

.: Ex
. Pressure Head = 120 ft
Di11.
Flow rate = 300 gpm NPSH 5.5ft
Impeller 11.3
R in 3 in
NPSH
Efciency = 64%
R

diameter 5.5ft
brake 14.5 hp
hp

Efciency = 64%
\

brake hp 14.5 hp
30
0