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Published December 1961 | Accepted Version
Journal Article Open

On the Mechanism of Cavitation Damage by Nonhemispherical Cavities Collapsing in Contact With a Solid Boundary

Abstract

A perfect fluid theory, which neglects the effect of gravity, and which assumes that the pressure inside a cavitation bubble remains constant during the collapse process, is given for the case of a nonhemispherical, but axially symmetric cavity which collapses in contact with a solid boundary. The theory suggests the possibility that such a cavity may deform to the extent that its wall strikes the solid boundary before minimum cavity volume is reached. High-speed motion pictures of cavities generated by spark methods are used to test the theory experimentally. Agreement between theory and experiment is good for the range of experimental cavities considered, and the phenomenon of the cavity wall striking the solid boundary does indeed occur. Studies of damage by cavities of this type on soft aluminum samples reveals that pressures caused by the cavity wall striking the boundary are higher than those resulting from a compression of gases inside the cavity, and are responsible for the damage.

Additional Information

Copyright © 1961 by ASME. Condensed from a 1960 California Institute of Technology PhD thesis by C. F. Naudé. Contributed by the Cavitation Subcommittee of the Hydraulic Division of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and presented at the ASME-EIC Hydraulic Conference, Montreal, Canada, May 7-10, 1961. Manuscript received at ASME Headquarters, January 30, 1961. Paper No. 61--Hyd-8. The authors wish to express their sincere appreciation for the competent assistance of Prof. P. A. Lagerstrom with the theoretical work. Financial support from the following sources made this study possible: 1 Research Bursary from the South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (1956-1959). 2 Queen Victoria Stipendium from the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa (1957-1959). 3 Francis J . Cole Fellowship from the California Institute of Technology . The experimental work was carried on with support from: 1 National Science Foundation Grant G-2586. 2 U. S. Navy Bureau of Ordnance contract NOrd 16200. 3 Office of Naval Research equipment loan Onr 218100. 4 U.S. Naval Ordnance Test Station Contract N 123(60530)- 21703A. 5 U.S. Naval Ordnance Test Station Contract Nl23(60530)- 24917A

Attached Files

Accepted Version - On_the_Mechanism_of_Cavitation_Damage_by_Nonhemispherical_Cavities_Collapsing_in_Contact_With_a_Solid_Boundary.pdf

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On_the_Mechanism_of_Cavitation_Damage_by_Nonhemispherical_Cavities_Collapsing_in_Contact_With_a_Solid_Boundary.pdf

Additional details

Created:
August 19, 2023
Modified:
October 17, 2023