Cavitation is a phenomenon, whereby some of the liquid being pumped vaporizes and
forms into bubbles on the low pressure (predominantly suction) side of the impeller, as
a result of the pressure being reduced to less than the vapour pressure of the liquid. The
bubbles, implode back into a liquid, as a result of, sudden change to high pressure;
towards the [predominantly] discharge end of the impeller. The resultant impact of the
implosion of the bubbles is termed as cavitation, which in its disastrous state, can be
quite intimidating, with violent pump vibrations and ultimate failure.
In more common applications, cavitation in pumps can occur without any appreciable
noise or wear being evident.
The effects of cavitations are manifested by pitting and corrosion like effects on pump
casing and impellers. More importantly, however, is the fact that cavitation contributes
to significant damage to seal, bearing and pump shafts, consequently resulting in
premature component failure and associated maintenance costs.
To avoid cavitation, it is imperative that the Nett Positive Suction Head Available
(NPSHA) [which is calculated as part of the pumping system design is always greater
than Nett Positive Suction Head Required (NPSHR)]. The NPSHR is unique for each