A cavitation is a generally undesirable situation which can occur in a moving liquid stream when the liquid pressure becomes equal to the vapour pressure of the liquid at the temperature of operation, e.g. in a centrifugal pump. This is a limiting condition, for if the pressure in the system were to be lowered the only effect would be to cause more rapid vaporisation (boiling) of the liquid and more rapid release of gases which might be in solution.
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