Optimal Design and Experimental Research of the Anti-Cavitation Structure in the Water Hydraulic Relief Valve

Abstract

Water hydraulics relief valves are essential components of hydraulic systems. These valves maintain the desired pressure and thereby prevent other components from being damaged. During operation of the relief valve, the water flow often cavitates in the valve port owing to the rapid decline in pressure, affecting the stability and safety of the hydraulic system. To improve relief valve performance, an optimal design of the valve was determined. Using a computational fluid dynamics approach, the effects of the valve core design and the nonsmooth groove structure of the valve seat on the jet flow structure were modeled and tested. The anti-cavitation structure was optimized parametrically, and the ideal valve port structure was determined. Tests were conducted to compare cavitation in the water hydraulics relief valve with and without the anti-cavitation structures. Results of these tests showed evident enhancement of cavitation performance.