Measurement of Temperature Effects on Cavitation in a Turbopump Inducer

Abstract

Temperature effects on the critical cavitation number and rotating cavitation in a turbopump inducer have been experimentally investigated in water. Static pressures upstream and downstream of the inducer have been measured to determine the cavitation performance, and cavitation instabilities have been detected using unsteady pressure sensors and a high-speed camera. Two kinds of cavitation instabilities have been identified—rotating cavitation and asymmetric attached cavitation. To quantify temperature effects, nondimensional thermal parameter has been adopted. Increasing water temperature, or increasing nondimensional thermal parameter, lowers the critical cavitation number. Increasing nondimensional thermal parameter also shifts the onset of rotating cavitation to a lower cavitation number and reduces the intensity of rotating cavitation. However, for values larger than 0.540 (340 K, 5000 rpm), the critical cavitation number and the rotating cavitation onset cavitation number become independent of the nondimensional thermal parameter. The onset of the head coefficient degradation correlates with the onset of rotating cavitation regardless of temperature.