Experiment on cavitation-vibration correlation of a centrifugal pump under steady state and start-up conditions in energy storage station

Centrifugal pump is widely used as a storage pump in energy storage station, and its cavitation phenomenon in start-up and shut-off processes can lead to vibration, which is crucial for the stability and safety of operations. In this work, a synchronous experimental system consisting of the tested pump, high-speed camera, and measuring sensors is established to capture cavitation and vibration performances and reveal their correlation under steady state and start-up processes with different acceleration times. Results show that there is a strong correlation between cavitation and vibration in the start-up process of a centrifugal pump. The vibration induced by cavitation is above 1000 Hz, and it is concentrated at 1000-1200 Hz. The power of the 1000-1200 Hz frequency band increases with cavitation development. During the start-up process, the short acceleration time can effectively suppress cavitation.