INTRODUCTION
Cavitation is a thermodynamically non-reversible process defined as the formation and subsequent collapse of vapor bubbles caused by the drop in pressure in the fluid domain, as illustrated in Figure 1. The collapse of these bubbles can produce a shock wave strong enough to damage machine parts, and as such, cavitation is usually an undesirable phenomenon. It can also generate significant vibration and noise, cause rotordynamic instabilities and blade erosion, and negatively affect general machinery performance.