Cavitation erosion behavior of hydraulic concrete under high-speed flow

Purpose Cavitation erosion has always been a common technical problem in a hydraulic discharging structure. This paper aims to investigate the cavitation erosion behavior of hydraulic concrete under high-speed flow. Design/methodology/approach A high-speed and high-pressure venturi cavitation erosion generator was used to simulate the strong cavitation. The characteristics of hydrodynamic loads of cavitation bubble collapse zone, the failure characteristics and the erosion development process of concrete were investigated. The main influencing factors of cavitation erosion were discussed. Findings The collapse of the cavitation bubble group produced a high frequency, continuous and unsteady pulse load on the wall of concrete, which was more likely to cause fatigue failure of concrete materials. The cavitation action position and the main frequency of impact load were greatly affected by the downstream pressure. A power exponential relationship between cavitation load, cavitation erosion and flow speed was observed. With the increase of concrete strength, the degree of damage of cavitation erosion was approximately linearly reduced. Originality/value After cavitation erosion, a skeleton structure was formed by the accumulation of granular particles, and the relatively independent bulk structure of the surface differed from the flake structure formed after abrasion.