Certified Maintenance and Reliability Technician (CMRT) Practice Test

Mitigating cavitation is primarily achieved by increasing the pressure at the suction of the pump. Cavitation occurs when the pressure at the pump inlet drops below the vapor pressure of the fluid, leading to the formation of vapor bubbles. As these bubbles collapse, they can cause significant damage to the pump and reduce its efficiency.

By increasing the pressure at the suction, the likelihood of the fluid reaching vapor pressure is decreased, which prevents the formation of cavitation bubbles. This can be achieved through several means such as adjusting the pump's suction configuration, using a higher-pressure fluid supply, or incorporating pre-pressurizing mechanisms.

The other options might influence the overall performance of the system but do not directly address the root cause of cavitation as effectively as increasing suction pressure does. For example, while reducing the pump speed may reduce the flow rate and potentially minimize cavitation effects under certain circumstances, it does not raise the suction pressure. Lowering the operating temperature might alter fluid properties, but it can also have an inverse effect, such as increasing fluid viscosity, which can still lead to cavitation. Using a different fluid could potentially help if the new fluid has a higher vapor pressure, but this depends on the specific application and may not always be practical.