Cavitation damage in a pump is primarily caused by which phenomenon?

• A. Increased pump efficiency due to turbulence.
• B. Imploding bubbles created by low-pressure zones around the impeller causing shockwaves.
• C. Thermal corrosion of the impeller material.
• D. Gas dissolution increasing viscosity.

Answer: (B)

Cavitation damage happens when the liquid pressure around the impeller falls below the liquid’s vapor pressure, so tiny vapor bubbles form. As these bubbles move into regions of higher pressure near the blades, they collapse violently, producing shockwaves and microjets that strike and erode metal surfaces. This repeated implosion loading near the impeller is what causes the damage. The other options don’t describe this mechanism: turbulence alone doesn’t cause the destructive bubble collapse, thermal corrosion is a chemical/material wear issue not driven by bubble dynamics, and gas dissolution affecting viscosity isn’t what initiates cavitation.