Cavitation Erosion Resistance Tests Performed on Some Stainless Steels for Turbine Runner Blades

The paper presents cavitation erosion testing results of three stainless steels that may be used in making hydropower turbine parts. Two of these steels have a chemical composition close to that of some other stainless steels previously employed in producing these parts. They are updated steel grades of the former ones. The third one is newly conceived. Aiming better mechanical and corrosion resistance characteristics as well as an inclusion - free structural state, steels were produced in an induction furnace with cold copper crucible under vacuum and argon atmosphere. Quenching and tempering heat treatments were subsequently applied.