Cavitation Erosion in the Portion of an Oil Passage Through Which Bubbles Pass

Cavitation erosion is a serious problem in the hydraulic system of construction machinery. In particular, the erosion which occurs even when cavitation bubbles only pass through oil passages, occurs at a connecting portion between the hydraulic components and piping, and the erosion causes oil leakage, which is a serious problem for hydraulic systems. However, it is difficult to predict the eroded area and to prevent the erosion because of a lack of research findings. The present study investigated erosion in the portion through which cavitation bubbles passes using a basic experimental apparatus that simulates an oil passage of hydraulic components, and by conducting a computational fluid dynamics simulation. The following results were obtained. Erosion occurs near the outlet of the oil passage, cavitation bubbles frequently disappear rapidly near the area of erosion, and the cause of bubble disappearance is the pressure distribution and amplification of the pressure wave of cavitation jets at the outlet of the oil passage. These results help explain the erosion generation mechanism and the characteristics of erosion in oil passages of hydraulic components, and can be used to design methods of reducing erosion.