🔍 Key Concepts

• Cavitation in pumps – where vapor bubbles usually form and collapse in relation to inlet vs. discharge side • Pressure conditions inside a gear pump – what area has lowest absolute pressure and is most susceptible to cavitation damage • Wear pattern characteristics – localized vs. even wear, and what that suggests about the cause

💭 Think About

• In a low pressure gear pump, where is the fluid pressure the lowest – near the inlet or near the discharge, and how does that relate to cavitation formation? • Does cavitation typically cause uniform wear everywhere, or more concentrated pitting/erosion in specific locations? Think about where bubbles are most likely to collapse. • Which side of a gear pump experiences suction conditions, and how would that affect where the most cavitation-related damage appears?

✅ Before You Answer

• Identify which side of the housing is under suction (lowest pressure) during normal operation. • Decide whether cavitation damage tends to be localized or evenly distributed around the pump periphery. • Consider whether matched machined gear sets would cause general uniform wear or are more related to normal contact patterns rather than cavitation-specific damage.