How to solve cavitation in mechanical pumps
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The workshop currently has a pump with a head of 288 m, a flow rate of 87.5 m3/h, and a motor power of 132 KW. The pressure in the inlet buffer tank is 0.02–0.03 Mpa, which causes cavitation to occur frequently. How can this issue be resolved without changing the equipment or the process?
Medium? Temperature? Make sure to specify the relevant parameters so that other users can help
This medium of yours is likely a volatile one; run a pipeline from the pump outlet to the pump inlet to increase the head at the inlet side
1. To increase the pressure in the pump chamber, backflow can be considered. 2. For OH2 pump models, adding an impeller can be an option. 3. If seal leakage is a concern, increasing the pressure in the sealing chamber – such as by using bushings or providing back pressure to the impeller – can help
What is a medium? Medium temperature during normal operation? What are the required net positive suction head of the pump and the net positive suction head available at the installation? Your information is incomplete
Replace the pump, reduce the installation height; vertical bucket pump can break through
At the very least, the operating procedures can be modified to ensure the liquid level in the upstream tank is properly controlled
The medium is liquefied gas mixed with isooctane; the temperature is around -5°C, and the required NPSH is 2.8 m
Is the pump flow rate set too high, with the inlet flow being as low as possible? Try using a little return line! Alternatively, the work done by the impeller generates heat in the fluid inside the pump, causing the fluid to vaporize. If the temperature of the pump body is high, cooling water can be used to lower it
At -5°C, the saturated vapor pressure of this medium is roughly around 300 kPaA~~~ but the inlet conditions can only provide 20–30 kPaG, so cavitation will occur； You can follow the suggestion from above and guide the flow back into the tank from the outlet~~~~
Adding an inducer wheel seems like a good idea to me