Influence of Rotor Geometry on Cavitation Characteristics of Rotational Hydrodynamic Cavitation Generator

Abstract

The RNG k-ε turbulence model and mass transport cavitation model are applied to simulate the cavitating flows in a rotational hydrodynamic cavitation generator with a rotor and a stator. The cavitation generator is designed to have surface dimples on the rotor. The cavitating flows analyses in cavitation generator are focused mainly in the rotor. The accuracy and reliability of the calculation model and method are demonstrated by the good agreement between with experimental and numerical results. The pressure distribution, streamline distribution and vapor volume fraction distribution in cavitation generator with five different structures (5 different diameter of rotor dimples d=11mm, 13mm, 15mm, 17mm, 19mm) under the same operation condition are analysed. The calculation results show that the characteristics of streamline and cavitaion area and pressure area are quite different based on the magnitude of the dimple diameter of the rotor. It is observed that with the rotor dimple diameter increase, the cavity bubbles firstly appear in the low pressures area of dimple bottom and develops rapidly towards the wall and top of dimple; the mass transfer between water and vapor is even more intense; the low pressures area increases in dimple and the vortex area expands and the number of vortices increases, which induces the strong turbulence on the surface of the rotor and inside the rotor. The increasing the diameter of the rotor dimple is an effective means to enhance the cavitation effect of the rotational hydrodynamic cavitation generator.