Technical Def. of Cavitation

CAVITATION Cause and Effect The word cavitation is a process that a Hydraulics Technician does not want to encounter. Cavitation can occur due to entrained air bubbles in the hydraulic fluid or vaporization of the hydraulic fluid. This occurs when the suction lift is excessive and the inlet-pressure falls below the vapor pressure (pressure which a liquid starts to boil and thus begins changing into vapor) of the liquid. As a result, air or vapor …

…depends greatly on the design of the pump. When the pump begins to produce very loud noise levels, this usually means that cavitation has occurred. The noise level of the pump is not the only way to determine if the hydraulic system has encountered a cavitation problem. Cavitation also causes a decrease in pump flow rate because the chambers do not completely fill with hydraulic fluid. As a result, system pressure becomes erratic or unsteady.