INVESTIGATION OF CAVITATION EROSION IN DIESEL ENGINE COOLANT SYSTEMS AT THE U. S. NAVAL ENGINEERING EXPERIMENT STATION

Two phases of the U. S. Naval Engineering Experiment Station's current investigation of cavitation erosion in diesel engine coolant systems are described. The first phase is concerned with accelerated cavitation tests as conducted with a magnetostriction apparatus. Various materials and test arrangements were included in the studies. The second phase of the investigation covered the measurement of cylinder liner and block vibration in diesel engines wherein cavitation erosion damage was known to exist. This analysis indicated that the principal source of vibrational energy in the area of cavitation damage was the resonant vibration of the cylinder liners as excited by the impacts of piston slap and cylinder firing pulses.