Maritime Knowledge Base
Browse questions and answers across marine machinery, merchant navy careers, shipboard operations and maritime glossary terms.
Browse by Category
Marine Machinery
Troubleshooting guides for pumps, boilers, purifiers, compressors and auxiliary systems.
Merchant Navy Careers
Questions about joining the merchant navy, exams, cadetships, ranks and sea-time.
Maritime Glossary
Plain-English definitions of shipping, engine-room, navigation and regulatory terms.
Shipboard Operations
Practical Q&A for watchkeeping, safety, maintenance routines and onboard documentation.
Results for "Cavitation"
What is cavitation in pumps and propellers?
Cavitation is the forming and violent collapse of vapour bubbles in a liquid when local pressure falls too low — it erodes metal, causes noise and vibration, and reduces efficiency.
Marine MachineryWhy does a marine centrifugal pump lose suction or stop pumping?
A centrifugal pump that loses suction has usually lost its prime or drawn in air — the causes lie in air leaks, blocked suctions, low levels and cavitation.
Marine MachineryHow does a marine centrifugal pump work?
A centrifugal pump moves liquid by spinning it with an impeller, which throws the liquid outward and converts its speed into pressure — the most common type of pump aboard ship.
Marine MachineryWhat is a reduction gearbox on a ship and why is it used?
A reduction gearbox lowers the high rotational speed of a medium- or high-speed engine to the slower speed that turns an efficient propeller, and can combine several engines onto one shaft.
