Paper 14: Acoustic Detection of Cavitation

The onset of cavitation in a hydraulic machine can be determined visually and its effect on performance by performance tests. It would be convenient to have an alternative method that required neither transparent sections nor expensive tests.

Initial tests have been made measuring noise over a frequency range of 20 c/s-20 kc/s in one-third octave bands, on a number of pumps and turbines. An accelerometer attached to the casing was used. The tests indicated that, generally, the onset of cavitation was accompanied by a rise in the high-frequency noise, whilst the low-frequency noise increased as the cavitation developed. A maximum of cavitation noise was reached before the efficiency and load fell off. In some cases difficulty was experienced because blade cavitation was drowned by noise caused by other cavitation, such as the vortex in a Francis turbine. It also appears that the noise following the onset of cavitation is at the frequency which is used as a critical frequency in accelerated erosion tests.

Further development of techniques is required, but the initial tests are encouraging.