Inertial cavitation threshold dependence on high static pressures.

Abstract

The creation of a bubble in a liquid is energetically favorable when the liquid is subject to a net/an overall tension less than of its saturated vapor pressure. This gain is offset by the creation of a liquid-vapor/gas interface, and only bubbles larger than some critical size will spontaneously grow. The magnitude of the acoustic pressure required to produce a cavity of the critical size is termed the cavitation threshold of the liquid. The dependence of the cavitation threshold on hydrostatic pressure has previously been reported up to 130 bars in terms of electrical power applied to the acoustic driving transducer. These measurements used a standing wave set-up in a stainless steel spherical resonator (24.1 cm outer diameter, 1.9 cm thick) with a Q > 10 000 when fluid loaded. This work will extend into higher pressure regimes and will be used to extrapolate the cavitation threshold at 1 kbar.