Novel Method for Detecting Cavitation in Centrifugal Pump with Frequency Converter

摘要

Centrifugal pumps are often used in operating conditions, where they can be susceptible to a premature failure. Cavitation phenomenon can be considered as a typical cause for a pump failure, as it erodes the internal parts of the pump and deteriorates the pump performance. The cavitation phenomenon can be detected by means of external measurements, for instance by monitoring the pump vibration. However, the use of additional sensors results in additional costs, which favours the use of sensorless methods also in the field of condition monitoring. In this article, a novel method for detecting cavitation in a centrifugal pump with a frequency converter is proposed. The method is based on the frequency converter's estimates for the rotational speed and the shaft torque of the pump. The method has been tested in the laboratory with two different pump drives, and the obtained results are presented. Test results show that the high flow cavitation can be detected by the proposed method.