Process and a device for determining the erosion caused by cavitation in components through which fluid flows

A device for determining the erosion rate caused by cavitation in a component through which fluid flows, comprising:

• a measuring sensor having means for detecting a vibration of the component and means for producing a vibration signal;
• a signal processing unit having means for receiving the vibration signal from the measuring sensor and means for processing the vibration signal and producing a processed signal;
• and
• a computer having means for receiving the processed signal from the signal processing unit and means for calculating a value representing the fluid-borne noise from the processed signal by a numerical method, the computer further comprising means for determining an erosion rate from the value representing the fluid-borne noise.

A method for determining the erosion rate caused by cavitation in components through which fluid flows, comprising the steps of:

• measuring the structure-borne noise of an outer wall of the component at at least one point;
• calculating a fluid-borne noise using the structure-borne noise;
• and
• calculating an erosion rate using the fluid-borne noise and an empirically determined relationship between the fluid-borne noise and the erosion rate.

A device for determining the erosion rate caused by cavitation in a component through which fluid flows, comprising:

• a measuring sensor having means for detecting a structure-borne noise of the component and means for producing a structure-borne noise signal;
• a signal processing unit having means for receiving the structure-borne noise signal from the measuring sensor and means for processing the structure-borne noise signal and producing a processed signal;
• and
• a computer having means for receiving the processed signal from the signal processing unit and means for calculating a value representing the fluid-borne noise from the processed signal by a numerical method, the computer further comprising means for determining an erosion rate from the value representing the fluid-borne noise.