Erosion in conical diffusers in particulate-laden cavitating flow

This paper highlights the serious damage that can occur in diffusing sections of pipework in which a cavitating particulate-laden fluid is flowing. The combined effects of particle erosion and cavitation are shown to remove considerably more material than would be expected from summing the effects of the individual mechanisms. It is demonstrated that, to be sure of avoiding this accelerated surface erosion, the transition from a smaller flow section to a larger one needs to be an abrupt expansion. If pressure recovery is important, a possible design solution is proposed. In the case of swirling flow, the expansion again needs to be abrupt. Evidence was also obtained which showed that, by allowing air to be entrained into the low pressure region in the flow, the cavitation and the erosion can be substantially reduced.