A Novel Approach for Hydraulic Valve Experimental Assessment Under Cavitating Condition

The article presents a novel approach for the experimental characterization of hydraulic valves. The proposed methodology allows to capture the key layout of the valve, to study its characteristic flow rate and to visualize the flow that passes through it. In the wake of the experimental technique found in the literature, the novel approach introduces the use of an original test valve, briefly called “prismatic”. It represents an effective alternative to the so-called “Half-Cut Model” (HCM) proposed by Oshima and Ichikawa. The new test valve simplifies the experimental set-up and allows to visualize the whole internal flow field, providing full insight in both the inception and the spatial development of the cavitation. Moving from the HCM, the key features of the prismatic valve are preliminarily investigated and assessed by modelling, trough 3-D CFD simulations within OpenFOAM environment. Once the layout of prismatic valve is defined, the experimental assessment phase is carried out, highlighting its capability in research and development activities.