Prognostic Technique for Pump Cavitation Erosion

In this study, a prognostic technique for cavitation erosion that is applicable to centrifugal pumps is devised. To estimate the erosion states of pumps, damage rates are calculated based on cavitation noise measurements. The accumulated damage is predicted by using Miner's rule and the estimated damage undergone when coping with particular operating conditions. The remaining useful life (RUL) of the pump impellers is estimated according to the accumulated damage prediction and based on the assumption of future operating conditions. A Monte Carlo simulation is applied to obtain a prognostic uncertainty. The comparison of the prediction and the test results demonstrates that the developed method can be applied to predict cavitation erosion states and RUL estimates.