Cavitation dynamics in water at elevated temperatures and in liquid nitrogen at an ultrasonic horn tip.

Abstract

Understanding and predicting thermodynamic effects is crucial when the critical point temperature is close to the operating temperature of the fluid, like in cryogenics. Due to the extreme difficulties of experimental investigation, predicting of thermodynamic effects in cavitation often bases on data in liquids other than cryogenics. Most often used surrogate liquids are hot water or certain refrigerants, which are selected by a single fluid property, most commonly by the thermodynamic parameter ∑. The paper presents a systematic study of the cavitation dynamics in water at 20 °C, 40 °C, 60 °C, 80 °C and 100 °C and in addition in liquid nitrogen (LN2). Cavitation dynamics on a 4.8 mm (tip diameter) ultrasonic horn tip, which oscillated at 20 kHz was investigated by high-speed visualization at 300,000 frames per second (fps). Simultaneously acoustic emissions were recorded by a high frequency pressure transducer. Measurements were performed under variation of the acoustic power in a closed, insulated vessel, where pressure could be optionally set. The main purpose of the presented investigation is to determine whether hot water can act as a surrogate liquid to cryogenics. The results may implicate the future investigations and development of a new generation of rocket engines, which also feature the possibility of re-ignition while in orbit - understanding and predicting of cavitation behaviour is becoming a crucial part at the (liquid oxygen - LOX and liquid hydrogen - LH2) turbo-pump design.