A Rayleigh-Plesset based transport model for cryogenic fluid cavitating flow computations

Abstract

The present article focuses on modeling issues to simulate cryogenic fluid cavitating flows. A revised cavitation model, in which the thermal effect is considered, is derivated and established based on Kubota model. Cavitating flow computations are conducted around an axisymmetric ogive and a 2D quarter caliber hydrofoil in liquid nitrogen implementing the revised model and Kubota model coupled with energy equation and dynamically updating the fluid physical properties, respecitively. The results show that the revised cavitation model can better describe the mass transport process in the cavitation process in cryogenic fluids. Compared with Kubota model, the revised model can reflect the observed “frosty” appearance within the cavity. The cavity length becomes shorter and it can capture the temperature and pressure depressions more consistently in the cavitating region, particularly at the rear of the cavity. The evaporation rate decreases, and while the magnitude of the condensation rate becomes larger because of the thermal effect terms in the revised model compared with the results obtained by the Kubota model.