Instability measurement of cavitation conditions in a spool valve through the definition of a cavitation instability index

Cavitation phenomenon is commonly known as a cause of deterioration of hydraulic components and a source of noise. In a proportional spool control valve for fluid power applications, the reduction of the cross section area at small openings can lead to the growth of gas bubbles inside the fluid phase. This phenomenon modifies the operating efficiency of the valve and can damage the material over time. The oil flow has been visualised through an experimental activity by using a 2-way 2-position spool valve with a plexiglass case and analysed by a CMOS type camera, with a high sampling rate. The recorded images focus the interaction between gas and liquid phases and highlights how the shape of cavitation bubbles is modified when the surface stress increases. In the present work, the interaction between liquid and gas phase has been studied by applying a non-linear method on the numerical matrices, derived from the acquired images. A cavitation instability index has been proposed, which is able to describe the cavitation behaviour and to define the instability of the equilibrium between the two phases. The trend of this index gives information about the two phase flow conditions, in order to reduce the cavitation phenomenon.