Measurement of cavitation in a sliding bearing using digital holography

Abstract

Although most of the mathematical models for cavitation in bearings provide reasonable estimates of engineering parameters such as load capacity and friction, they are based on substantially different assumptions and further work is required to understand the fundamental operation of bearings. In this study digital holography was used to examine bubble formation within a glass sliding bearing. Digital holography collects the both the phase and amplitude of the transmitted wavefront and therefore contains quantitative information concerning the thickness of the cavitation bubbles. This paper introduces the experimental configuration and the digital holography system used to study cavitation. It also discusses the demodulation process and how the information can be used to find other interesting parameters such as bubble position and shape.