Talk:Cavitation

Bullet wounds

Suggestion on adding the below linked to this page - assuming this is the correct place to put this?

• High-velocity assault rifle rounds, Cavitation

Shaded0 (talk) 18:04, 7 November 2017 (UTC)

Cavitation is the formation of the bubbles or its collapse?

As it is, the lead says it is both. If the term comprises both formation and collapse, the lead needs a rewrite. --uKER (talk) 11:20, 20 February 2019 (UTC)

Meaning and scope

The term "cavitation" seems to be used with several different meanings:

1. The formation of any void in a liquid. Such a void may be air-filled, as for example in this paper on vascular plants. Void pressure is near-ambient/atmospheric.
2. The formation of a void specifically in a hydrodynamic situation where the dynamic pressure becomes comparable to the total pressure and the static pressure consequently falls below the fluid vapour pressure. Void pressure is near-vacuum.
3. The catastrophic collapse of such a near-vacuum void, as here
4. The oscillation of void size, due to the application of external energy such as acoustic or electromagnetic. The void pressure may be near-atmospheric or near-vacuum.

These last three are sometimes termed "inertial cavitation", while #2 and 3 are often combined in a single definition embracing both; this is common in engineering and is the dominant use of the term.

The article currently is very unclear about all this and mixes up different types of cavitation under a mishmash of section headings that bear little relation to their content. It needs expert attention. — Cheers, Steelpillow (Talk) 08:14, 16 July 2023 (UTC)

In addition, the picture of a barge propeller with a semi-tunnel plate above it is also misleading as such plates are usually fitted to reduce another unwanted effect, which is the propeller aeration, i.e. sucking air from the surface on a shallow draft vessel. 213.18.147.110 (talk) 09:23, 2 October 2023 (UTC)

Aerodynamic cavitation subsection lacks credible sources, should be removed

None of the three sources cited in the Aerodynamic cavitation subsection support the claim that the cavitation phenomenon exists in a gaseous medium:

- ref 21 the paper containing the references image does not mention cavitation at all.

- ref 22 only mentions cavitation in the context of hydrofoils.

- ref 23 is not credible, does not provide backup for claims made.

Hence I suggest this subsection be removed. Paul593 (talk) 12:44, 6 May 2025 (UTC)

I have not checked the sources, but the section appears to confuse boundary layer separation and supercavitation in liquids with cavitation in a gas, which, as there can be no formation of a cavity containing a different phase in a gas, can not exist. This may be a language problem. A person translating from another language into English may be confused by different terminology, or may have used an AI source, which are well known for making up plausible sounding bullshit. I agree with removing the subsection unless much better sources are produced. Cheers, · · · Peter Southwood ^(talk): 05:10, 7 September 2025 (UTC)

I have checked the sources and concur with Paul593 that the first two are irrelevant and the third is not credibe, I will remove the section as misleading and inaccurate. Do not replace without providing strong evidence that "aerodynamic cavitation" is a term used by actual engineers or scientists. · · · Peter Southwood ^(talk): 06:17, 7 September 2025 (UTC)

"Aerodynamic cavitation" listed at Redirects for discussion

The redirect Aerodynamic cavitation has been listed at redirects for discussion to determine whether its use and function meets the redirect guidelines. Readers of this page are welcome to comment on this redirect at Wikipedia:Redirects for discussion/Log/2025 September 8 § Aerodynamic cavitation until a consensus is reached. Thepharoah17 (talk) 05:22, 8 September 2025 (UTC)