In order to find useful methods for estimating the rate of severe cavitation erosion arising in a typical centrifugal pump at high specific speeds such as Ns=300(m, m3/min, rpm), systematic erosion tests are carried out under various test conditions using three-dimensional impellers made of aluminum alloy. The following three effective and simple methods for estimating the erosion rate are presented. (i)Observation of the initial aspects of the eroded surface, (ii)Analysis of the intensity of the vibrating accelerations, and(iii)Examination of the relationship between the erosion rate and the position of maximum erosion rate.
