Jet pump is a type of cavitation reactor with great potential because of strong shear flow. In the present paper, experiments were carried out to investigate the cavitation characteristics of jet pump cavitation reactors (JPCRs) with different throat lengths, throat types and diffuser angles. Cavitation images and sound pressure signals in water corresponding to the hydraulic parameters are introduced to judge the aggressive intensity of cavitation in JPCRs. The flow ratios varying from the maximum limited value to -1 were measured for all JPCRs. It suggests that throat structure plays a more important role in the cavitation and flow characteristics of JPCR when compared with diffuser structure. Specifically, convergent throat results in large bubble density in the diffuser while divergent throat results in choke in the throat compared to the original JPCR. And cavitation bubble density in throat increases with increasing throat length. With the decrease of the flow ratio (q > 0), sound pressure level (SPL) decreases from the maximum to the minimum and then increases again. As the flow ratio decreases further (q < 0), SPL keeps on increasing first and then decreases, finally it takes a turn and increases to a stable level. Further study on actual SPL induced by cavitation in JPCR indicates that small diffuser angle, divergent and long throat enhance the aggressive intensity of cavitation. This result is of great significance to the design of JPCR.
Keywords: Cavitation; Flow characteristics; Jet pump cavitation reactors; Sound pressure.
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