Flow characteristics of a hydraulic cone-throttle valve during cavitation

Purpose This paper aims to resolve the cavitation problem encountered in cone throttle valves concerning fluid flow performance and pitting from cavitation luminescence, the author studied the flow field within a cone throttle valve set with various valve openings, inlet pressures and outlet back pressures. Design/methodology/approach The flow and cavitation distribution in the valve under different pressure conditions were obtained in simulations. To confirm these results experimentally, a hydraulic cavitation platform was constructed. The valve was made of polymethyl methacrylate material with high transparency to observe the cavitation directly, as well as cavitation luminescence. The flow characteristics of this valve were measured under various working conditions. Findings With increasing cavitation strength, a reduction in cavitation on the throttle capacity was more evident. Increasing the back pressure and reducing the working pressure of the valve appropriately improves the flow capacity of the valve, which subsequently improves the performance of the valve. The cavitation luminescence is also linearly related to cavitation intensity. That is, the stronger the flow capacity of the valve, the less likely the luminescence is produced. Moreover, a stronger luminescence intensity worsens the flow performance of the valve. Research limitations/implications - Owing to the limitation of experimental means and lack of research on bubble shape, the subsequent research will complement this aspect. Practical implications - With a view to providing theoretical and experimental support, cavitation luminescence is also studied to gain a deeper understanding of the cavitation mechanism in hydraulic valves. Originality/value The innovation of this paper is to study the cavitation luminescence in the hydraulic system.