On the numerical simulations of vortical cavitating flows around various hydrofoils

Abstract

This paper reviews the numerical models of various cavitating flows around hydrofoils. Numerical models relating to cavitation flows, including mass transfer models and turbulence models, are summarized at first. Then numerical results and analysis of flow characteristics for the cavitating flows around twisted hydrofoils, truncated hydrofoil and tip leakage are discussed respectively. For mean flow fields, Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) simulation associated with a kind of nonlinear turbulence model is found to be an economic and robust numerical approach for different kinds of cavitating flows including cloud cavitation, tip cavitation and tip leakage cavitation. To predict the fluctuations of pressure and velocity, large eddy simulation (LES) and detached eddy simulation (DES) are two effective approaches. Finally, a few open questions are proposed for future research.