Experimental Study of Cavitation in Laminar Flow Free

An experimental set-up has been especially developed in order to observe cavitation in laminar flows. Experiments have been carried out with a silicon oil of viscosity υ = 100 cSt passing through a Venturi-type geometry with 18°/8° convergent/divergent angles respectively. The range of Reynolds numbers at the inlet section is between 350 and 1000. For these flow conditions, the Venturi only experiences air releasing gaseous cavitation for which two dynamic regimes are identified. They are characterized by two critical Reynolds numbers, induced by major hydrodynamic changes in the flow, in addition to a hysteresis effect between the inception and the disappearance of cavitation.