What Is Cavitation Phenomenon in Pipeline Pumps

Jul 10, 2025

1. Cavitation phenomenon of pipeline pump:
During the operation of a pipeline sewage pump, if the pressure at a local location inside the pump is lower than the saturated vapor pressure of water at that temperature, impurities, small solid particles, or gas nuclei present in the gaps between liquid and solid contact surfaces in the water will quickly grow into visible bubbles. When the bubbles reach the high-pressure zone with the water flow, they will collapse under the pressure of the surrounding water. The generation and collapse of bubbles involve multiple physical and chemical phenomena, such as noise, vibration, and erosion of the materials of the flow components.
2. The hazards caused by cavitation of pipeline pumps:
① It will deteriorate the performance of the pipeline sewage pump, and a large number of air bubbles will be generated when cavitation occurs. Water containing a large number of air bubbles will disrupt the normal flow pattern, reduce the effective flow surface area of the blade groove, change the flow direction accordingly, increase energy loss, and cause a rapid decrease in the flow rate, head, and efficiency of the pipeline pump. When cavitation is severe, it may even lead to flow interruption.
② Pipeline pumps generate vibration and noise. When cavitation occurs, the rupture of air bubbles and the collision of water flow particles with each other, as well as the repeated impact of high-intensity impact force on the pump casing and impeller of pipeline pumps, cause vibration and strong noise in pipeline pumps.
When the frequency of cavitation vibration is close to the vibration frequency of the pipeline pump itself, it may cause resonance of the pipeline sewage pump, greatly increasing the amplitude of vibration and causing damage to the machine base and foundation vibration. Therefore, noise and vibration are also one of the main criteria for determining whether cavitation occurs and disappears.