A method to predict cavitation and the extent of damage in power plant piping. Tier 1, Cavitation erosion model: Final report
- Wilby Associates, Calabasas, CA (United States)
Cavitation erosion damage to power plant piping systems is a serious concern; it is often difficult to detect and can lead to unscheduled repairs and costly outages. The objective of this study was to develop a mathematical model and method to predict the onset of cavitation erosion and to estimate the extent of cavitation damage. Four severity levels of cavitation erosion have been defined in the literature: incipient cavitation, critical cavitation, incipient damage and choking cavitation. The prediction method, which for the most part is empirical, is based on a variety of data including flow characteristics, sound and vibration levels, and the pitting rates of material specimens exposed to cavitation. The method relates the four cavitation levels to the orifice or valve discharge coefficient for a baseline pressure and size. Scale factors make it possible to extrapolate to specific plant pressures and sizes. Currently, prediction coefficients are available for orifices, and butterfly, globe, cone, ball and gate valves. They are also available for bends and elbows. Other components are excluded due to the paucity of data. Because the accuracy of the method depends to a large extent on the amount of available test data, components are categorized according to three classes of reliability, with orifices having the highest rating of the components considered. In order to enhance the confidence in the prediction method and extend the range of application to include other components, it is recommended that predictions be validated where possible and that additional data be acquired.
- Research Organization:
- Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (United States); Wilby Associates, Calabasas, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 10111287
- Report Number(s):
- EPRI-TR-103198-T1; ON: UN94004730
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: Dec 1993
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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