Investigation on Unsteady Cavitation Flow and Excited Pressure Fluctuations in Regulating Valve

Xiumei Liu; Jie He; Yongwei Xie; Beibei Li; Yujia Zhang; Jinsong Chen; Qihang Liu

doi:10.3390/machines10010032

Machines (Jan 2022)

Investigation on Unsteady Cavitation Flow and Excited Pressure Fluctuations in Regulating Valve

Xiumei Liu,
Jie He,
Yongwei Xie,
Beibei Li,
Yujia Zhang,
Jinsong Chen,
Qihang Liu

Affiliations

Xiumei Liu: School of Mechatronic Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
Jie He: School of Electrical and Control Engineering, Xuzhou Institute of Technology, Xuzhou 221018, China
Yongwei Xie: School of Mechatronic Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
Beibei Li: School of Mechatronic Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
Yujia Zhang: School of Mechatronic Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
Jinsong Chen: School of Mechatronic Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
Qihang Liu: School of Mechatronic Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/machines10010032
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 10, no. 1
p. 32

Abstract

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A multi-field synchronous measurement system for the cavitation flow in a regulating valve was established. The system combines a high-speed full-flow field display system with a pressure measurement system to realize the simultaneous acquisition of cavitation shapes and pressure pulsations. Cavitation flow occurs near the throttle orifice, which is obviously a quasi-periodic behavior. The unsteady cavitation flow mainly includes three stages: the growth of the attached cavity, the fracture and shedding of the attached cavity and the growth and collapse of the free cavity. The time evolution of the cavitation behaviors is highly related with excited pressure fluctuations. With the increasing attached cavity area, the corresponding pressure in the flow field decreases slowly. When the attached cavity falls off and develops downstream, the cavity area decreases gradually, and the pressure increases gradually. When the free cavity shrinks and collapses, the pressure in the flow field reaches the peak value. The pressure pulsation and the change of cavity area have the same dominant frequency, around 2000 Hz, at the monitoring point in the upstream, throat and expansion monitoring points. Furthermore, with increasing inlet pressure, the mean and variance values of cavitation area become larger, and the excited pressure fluctuation at each measuring point becomes more intense. The mean value of pulsating pressure at the throat gradually increases, while the pressure in the expansion section presents a downward trend. The variance of pressure pulsation and the maximum pressure also increase gradually with the increase in inlet pressure. The change of cavitation area and the pressure pulsation in the regulating valve complement each other. The results in this paper could provide experimental guidance on optimizing the structure of the valve, inhibiting cavitation occurrence and prolonging the service life of the valve.

Published in Machines

ISSN: 2075-1702 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Technology: Mechanical engineering and machinery
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/machines

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