Cavitation is the rapid vaporization and condensation of a liquid and has been a focus of study because of the negative impacts it can have in hydraulic systems. Supercavitation is described as a state of cavitation where the vapor cavity extends many diameters downstream of the equipment that is causing the cavitation and terminates in abrupt collapse. This study was commissioned to investigate the geometry of the cavity downstream from an orifice plate and provide information about the behavior of supercavitation downstream from the orifice plate inducing cavitation. The study investigated four different orifice plate geometries operating at supercavitating conditions. A test rig that included the orifice plates followed by a clear acrylic tube with pressure taps located at one diameter increments was used to observe the flow conditions and allow detailed pressure measurements. The tests results demonstrated that the vapor cavity is stable and that the collapse location is well defined.
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