Cavitation erosion, impact intensity and pit size distribution of jet and vortex cavitation

Three different methods of cavitation erosion measurement are compared and correlated with weight loss rates in two cavitation set-ups: a high-pressure cavitation jet producing a high repetition rate of a wide range of impact intensities and a single vortex machine producing a low repetition rate of large collapses. The electrochemical cavitation activated current measurements on pure titanium sensors are calibrated on the jet and used to evaluate erosion rates on the vortex. The cavitation pit counting technique on polished surfaces of 7 different hardness metals is compared with high frequency accelerometer data in both set-ups. Pit dimensions indicate that the impact intensity of the vortex collapses is comparable to that of the lowest intensity of jet cavitation. Good correlations are found between erosion rate, volume-pitting rate and high frequency inferred forces over more than six orders of magnitude.