Prediction of cavitation inception in pipelines

In the restricted flow region of a pipe, cavitation will occur. In order to predict the cavitation occurence, the pressure distribution of the throat region should first be estimated. This paper presented a method for predicting cavitation inception in pipe. The mathematic model was proposed and the fluctuating pressure in the flow and other random factors with respect to gas nuclei were treated using the Monte-Carlo method. So that the bridge between macroscopic aspect of the cavitation in the flow and microscopic event of individual nucleus cavitation was set up. Numerical investigation and experimental test were carried out for the flow through an orifice in an uniform pipe with circular section. The approximate method presented in this paper can be adopted to engineering design of corresponding pipelines