Cavitating Flow Field Research Articles

Numerical investigation of cavity dynamics and cavitation-induced vibrations of a flexible hydrofoil

This work investigates the cavitation and fluid–structure interaction characteristics of a flexible NACA0015 hydrofoil. The simulation incorporates the Zwart–Gerber–Belamri cavitation model and two-way fluid–structure interactions. The detached eddy simulation method is employed to analyze the impact of cavitation and elastic deformation on hydrodynamic performance. The vibrational response and cavitating flow field around the hydrofoil are investigated. The results show that the vibrational mode of the elastic hydrofoil shifts with increasing flow speed. Furthermore, the vertical vibrational displacement of the hydrofoil aligns with the variations in cavitation volume in the flow field. The structural vibrational deformation of an elastic hydrofoil notably affects the evolution of cavitation. Additionally, fluid–structure interaction in the presence of cavitation influences the pattern of vortex shedding wakes in the flow field. The results of this study can serve as a reference for the design of hydrofoils constructed from composite elastic materials.

Experimental investigation of chocked cavitation flow and its oscillation mechanism in jet pump cavitation reactors under limited operation stage

Experiments were conducted in this study to investigate the chocked cavitation characteristics and its oscillation mechanism in jet pump cavitation reactors (JPCR) under limited operation stage (LOS) utilizing a synchronous measurement system. The pulsation characteristics of cavitation in JPCR under various inlet and outlet pressures were analyzed by the processed high-speed camera images. Furthermore, correlation between cavitation and pressure pulsation as well as the mechanism of cavitation oscillation in JPCR under LOS are elucidated based on synchronized measurements. The results reveal that the typical jet choked cavitation flow field can be divided into three characteristic regions, i.e., stability region, oscillation region and collapse region. Changes in flow parameters cause variations in the areas of these three regions and shift the initial and collapse positions of cavitation. The time-averaged length of cavitation clouds varies linearly with the absolute pressure ratio at the outlet, corresponding to both stable and unstable LOS. Notably, the results reveal a clear correlation between the grayscale of cavitation clouds and pressure fluctuations over time, identifying the inverse pressure gradient as the primary cause of cavitation oscillation in the throat tube during unstable LOS.

Data-driven insights into cavitation phenomena: From spatiotemporal features to physical state transitions

The application of data-driven methods to study cavitation flow provides insights into the underlying mechanisms and richer physical details of cavitation phenomena. This paper aims to analyze the physically interpretable multi-state cavitation behavior. Initially, the spatiotemporal features of the cavitation flow are represented as network trajectories using principal component analysis. The k-means++ algorithm is then employed to obtain coarse-grained flow field states, and the centroid of each cluster served as a representative for the attributes of that state. Subsequently, the Markov state model is constructed to capture the dynamic transitions in the cavitation flow field. Through a detailed analysis of the dynamic transition model, the cavitation flow field states with genuine physical mechanisms are refined. Finally, proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) is utilized to extract the flow patterns corresponding to different states. The distribution characteristics of the flow field modes in different states correspond to their physical properties. These data-driven algorithm enables a detailed analysis of the typical states in periodic cavitation processes, such as cavity growth, development, shedding, and collapse, providing a deeper understanding of the cavitation flow characteristics in different typical states.

Research on Energy Dissipation of Hydrofoil Cavitation Flow Field with FBDCM Model

Research on Energy Dissipation of Hydrofoil Cavitation Flow Field with FBDCM Model

Quantitative evaluation on the cavitation damage energy of metals via multiscale approaches

In-situ experimental observation cannot be an effective method in the impact process of metal cavitation erosion, and the impact damage energy prediction theory has not been established based on a detailed mathematical and physical model. Research has shown that the metal material can be regarded as a sensor to reflect the impact parameters. Soft metal materials such as industrial pure copper with a single α-phase microstructure can be a suitable sensor to detect cavitation erosion effects, revealing the impact behaviors of the cavitation jet through the depth, width and spatial distribution of cavitation pits on the surface. In this scenario, volume loss of cavitation pits on a macro/mesoscale are obtained by three-dimensional surface measurement. A coupled fluid-solid simulation model calculating the impact damage energy on a macro/mesoscale is established based on the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) and the Crystal Plasticity Finite Element Method (CPFEM). Python programming is used to set the trajectory of SPH particles to determine the macro cavitation flow field. IFEM methods were used to construct the prediction theory of cavitation impact energy in a relatively simple exponential equation, establishing the quantitative relationship between cavitation impact damage energy and measured volume of cavitation pits. Compared with conventional measurement and simulation, the present multiscale approaches are assumed as a further step advancement towards calculating the impact damage energy of cavitation water jet.

Study on Cavitation Noise Monitoring and Characteristics Based on Venturi Bench Test

Cavitation phenomena are accompanied by harsh cavitation noise. Studying cavitation noise is an effective method to monitor cavitation conditions. In order to study the characteristics of cavitation noise, a Venturi test bench experiment platform is built, the cavitation flow field and cavitation noise of Venturi test bench are simulated. The frequency domain analysis of cavitation noise is carried out, and the relationship between cavitation region, flow rate and sound pressure level of cavitation noise is verified by comparison between simulation and experiment. Because the cavitation noise is easily polluted by ambient noise, wavelet transform is used to analyze the cavitation noise and background noise, and the characteristics of cavitation noise are studied by comparing the difference between them.

Study on cavitation and pulsation characteristics of a novel rotor-radial groove hydrodynamic cavitation reactor

Abstract Hydrodynamic cavitation is widely used in many fields such as water treatment, impact rock breaking, and food preparation. The performance of hydrodynamic cavitation is closely related to its internal flow field. In the present study, cavitation flow field was analyzed by computational fluid dynamics in the reactor. The cavitation performance of the rotor is evaluated under different operating conditions. The time frequency distribution of pressure pulsation is studied. The pressure increases at the connection point between the local low-pressure area and the mainstream low-pressure area. Cavitation bubbles collapsed at the tail end of the cavity to form a local void area. The blade frequency amplitude of pressure pulsation shows the significant periodic change. The blade frequency amplitude decreases along the flow direction. The effect of the fluid outlet led to the increase in the second-order harmonic frequency amplitude. The research results could provide theoretical support for the research of cavitation mechanism of cavitation equipment.

Numerical simulation on unsteady cavitating flows in a rotational hydrodynamic cavitation reactor

Abstract The RNG k-ε turbulence model and mass transport cavitation model Zwart-Gerber-Belamri are used to simulate unsteady cavitating flows in a rotational hydrodynamic cavitation reactor (RHCR). The RHCR is mainly composed of rotor and stator. Unsteady cavitation flow field analyses in RHCR are focused mainly near the rotor surface. The numerical simulation results are in good agreement with the experimental data. The frequency of pressure fluctuations and streamline distribution are discussed by setting 10 monitoring points near the rotor surface. The numerical simulation results shows that the main frequency of pressure fluctuation inside RHCR is 24f r and 72f r; the maximum amplitude of pressure fluctuations appears near the inlet, and its value about 3 times than the minimum. Moreover, the streamline distribution analyses demonstrate that the vortex appears near the rotor surface, and is generating, growth and disappearing with time. The shape, vortex center and intensity of the vortex near the inlet change drastically with time. This research provided a reference for the optimization design of RHCR.

Investigation of oblique water entry of high-speed supercavitating projectiles using transient fluid-structure interaction simulation

This study employs a fluid-structure interaction simulation to examine the structural deformation of supercavitating projectiles during high-speed oblique water entry. A cavitation flow field simulation model is established using the VOF multiphase and cavitation models, while the structural dynamics model of the projectile is implemented using the Johnson-Cook constitutive equation. The transient fluid-structure interaction simulation is conducted through data transfer between the two models. Numerical simulations are then conducted with the assumptions of a rigid body, linear elasticity, and nonlinearity, respectively. The results indicate that the high-speed water entry induced substantial hydrodynamic force and plastic strain accumulation in the projectile, leading to considerable bending deformation. It was found that the deformation significantly influenced the hydrodynamic forces, highlighting the importance of fluid-structure interaction modeling. Moreover, the attack angle directly impacts the resulting deformation mode. Specifically, under high-speed conditions, three distinct deformation modes are observed at different attack angles: minimal deformation at low angles, an L-shaped bending at higher angles, and an S-shaped bending when the angle exceeds the threshold. This study highlights the importance of fluid-structure interaction methods in analyzing the deformation behavior of supercavitating projectiles during high-speed oblique water entry. The results show that the bidirectional dynamic interaction between fluid and structure significantly influences the structural stability of the supercavitating projectiles. The relevant conclusions can provide a reference for the optimal design of supercavitating projectiles to ensure the structural stability under high-speed conditions.

High-speed photography and particle image velocimetry of cavitation in a Venturi tube

This article details the construction of an experimental visualization platform for observing cavitation. The platform uses high-speed photography and particle image velocimetry (PIV) techniques to conduct experimental research into the flow pattern and vortex field of cavitation in Venturi tubes. Dynamic mode decomposition is employed to extract the energy distribution characteristics of the cavitation flow field. Cavitation occurs at an exit-to-inlet pressure ratio of 0.595, and the length of the cavitation zone increases as this ratio decreases. When the pressure ratio reaches 0.280, the flow rate remains almost constant and the flow becomes chocked. The cavitation shape evolves periodically in the chocking flow, and the cavitation zone can be divided into three parts: an initiation and development area, a fusion area, and a collapse area. The fusion area exhibits periodic changes in the form of contraction, expansion, and re-contraction. Near the wall, the collapse area exhibits complex boundary conditions, with re-entrant jet causing bubble aggregation, rolling, and shedding. PIV and energy extraction reveal that vortices primarily appear near the wall, where they undergo a periodic process of fragmentation and fusion. The strength of the vortices exhibits a small–large–small pattern that is related to the cloud aggregation, rolling, and shedding caused by the re-entrant jet.

Experimental and numerical study on ventilated cavitation of high-speed projectile

In this study, ventilated cavitating flow characteristics around an axisymmetric projectile are investigated by combining experiments and numerical simulations. Experiments were carried out with a Split–Hopkinson pressure bar launch system and the pressure-equaling exhaust technology. Modular projectiles are designed to experimentally investigate the influence of head shape and ventilatory volume on flow characteristics. Large eddy simulation model is applied to obtain more flow field information. Compared with the conical head projectile, the hemispherical head projectile has a thinner attached cavity and more local detachment of the cavity. The statistical structure of the velocity and pressure fluctuations are analyzed by combining histograms and Q–Q diagrams. The results show that the pressure drag is dominant in the total drag and the periodic pulsation of the tail cavity and the stable vortex structure at the tail cause the variation of drag. The larger cavity volume changes the actual shape of the projectile, making the drag of the conical head projectile higher. The evolution characteristics of the cavitating flow field around the projectile with different ventilatory volumes are obtained, and the relationship between pressure fluctuation and chamber volume is derived. It is found that the reentrant jet causes a reverse flow at the nozzle, which leads to local pressure rise at the same interval. The above research work could contribute to the design and flow control of the ventilated cavity body.

Research on cavitation characteristics of water-jet pumps with different blade tip clearances based on entropy production theory

Water-jet pumps are widely used in ship and other power fields. An axial-flow water-jet pump is studied with different size of tip clearance, and the cavitation characteristics are studied based on the theory of entropy production. Modified SST with curvature correction and modified Zwart cavitation model based on vortex identification are adopted, and the numerical calculation method is verified by reference experiments of a model pump. Under normal operating conditions, the results show that when the size of the tip clearance varies from 1.6‰ to 7.9‰ of the impeller diameter, efficiency takes a linear decrease accordingly, and the total entropy production increases linearly. At the same time, the main energy dissipation mode changes from wall dissipation to turbulent dissipation. Under severe cavitation conditions the total entropy production adds 30%. The water-jet pump shows that the entropy production in the impeller section is the highest, which accounts for 40%-50% and is closely related to the vortex and cavitation flow field in the tip clearance of the impeller. The tip leakage vortex region causes cavitation, but significant energy dissipation occurs at the outer edge of leakage vortex and on the nearby wall area, while the attached cavitation on the blade surface is the main source of turbulent dissipation.

Study on microchannel cavitation phenomena based on experiment and simulation

Cavitation phenomenon is a common fluid mechanics phenomenon. Its special flow limiting structure generates abundant microchannel cavitation in the microchannel, and the existence of these cavitation flow field with complex flow field structure characteristics is formed in the microchannel. In order to better understand the cavitation phenomenon in the microchannel, this paper takes the microchannel as the research object, adopts the method of comparison between experimental research and numerical simulation, changes the cavitation number by adjusting parameters, and analyses the cavitation phenomenon of the microchannel under different working conditions. From the experimental point of view, a micro-channel with rectangular current limiting structure was designed. In order to observe and analyse the microchannel hydraulic cavitation phenomenon, the hydraulic cavitation micro-channel experiment platform was designed and built, which could analyse the cavitation flow pattern of the microchannel. The computational fluid dynamics simulation software Fluent was used to simulate and study the microchannel cavitation phenomenon characteristics by changing the boundary conditions. It is found that the cavitation phenomenon becomes more obvious as the number of cavitations decreases. Finally, the simulation results are compared with the experimental results, and the simulated cavitation flow pattern is in good agreement with the experimental results.

Feasibility study on finishing the inner surface of SLA small holes by volume alternating cavitation shock wave

Aiming at the technical problem of finishing the inner surface of additive manufacturing small holes, a novel volume alternating cavitation shock wave finishing (VACSWF) method was innovatively proposed. Using simulation and experiment methods, the distribution law of the vapor volume fraction in the alternating cavitation flow field of the small hole is studied, and the influence of volume alternating frequency and volume variation on the flow field is analyzed. Using the self-designed volume alternating cavitation experimental device, the inner surface of complex small holes processed by the Stereo Lithography Appearance (SLA) method was completed, and the feasibility of finishing the inner surface of complex small holes by the VACSWF method was verified. The collapse process of the volume alternating cavitation bubbles is analyzed, and the material removal mechanism of VACSWF is revealed.

Investigation on natural to ventilated cavitation considering the air-vapor interactions by Merging theory with insight on air jet location/rate effect

Cavitation is of significant practical importance since unstable flow characteristics can have noticeable consequences on objects nearby. An essential approach for controlling the cavitation flow field's instability is air injection. This work aims to conduct a numerical and experimental investigation on the natural to ventilated cavitation around a Clark Y hydrofoil. Having three phases: water, vapor, and air, the cavitation model is adjusted based on the Merging theory to consider the impact of dissolved air on cavitation. Furthermore, the Density Corrected-based Method (DCM) is used to alter the turbulence model. The experimental tests are carried out in the water tunnel, which can maintain the constant water flow rate (Qwater=490 m3⁄h) and regulate the pressure level (105–180 kPa). The Clark Y hydrofoil is fixed at an angle of attack of 8° and includes injection and pressure taps. Two holes, called Tap1-injection and Tap5-injection, are alternatively used for air injection purposes.Two cavitation numbers (σ=1.1, 1.6) and three air injection rates (Q = 0, 0.5, 1 l/min) are considered current case studies. The results demonstrate the meaningful impact of location and rate of aeration on the dynamic/average characteristics of cavitation. Increasing the air injection rate results in an increase in the pressure coefficient values, a decrease in the shedding frequency, and an elongation of the cavity with an M-shaped structure. Also, during a cycle of cavity development, air injection may take place in the reversed jet, perpendicular jet, or direct jet configurations. In addition, a close agreement between numerical and experimental results is recorded.

Unsteady Cavitation Analysis of the Centrifugal Pump Based on Entropy Production and Pressure Fluctuation

A numerical method using combined detached-eddy simulation (DES) and a cavitation model considering the rotation effect is used for unsteady cavitation flow field of the centrifugal pump. A closed-type pump test system was established to obtain the pump performance and pressure pulsation characteristics under different flow rates and cavitation condition, which provide boundary conditions and verification of calculations. Based on the calculation results of the unsteady flow field of the centrifugal pump cavitation, the entropy generation analysis of the flow field and an analysis of the pressure fluctuation characteristics were carried out. Then, we tried to reveal the relationship between cavitation and the deterioration of the centrifugal pump performance and the generation of the unstable operation excitation force. The internal energy loss is mainly concentrated in the impeller, volute, and pump cavity area, which accounts for more than 85% of the total entropy generation. The characteristic frequency of a Strouhal number of about 0.333 appears at the volute tongue due to the cavitation flow spread downstream.

Numerical Investigation of Cavitating Jet Flow Field with Different Turbulence Models

In numerous industries such as drilling, peening, cleaning, etc., a cavitating jet is adopted. However, it is challenging to simulate the cavitating flow field numerically with accuracy. The flow field of the organ pipe cavitation nozzle is simulated in this research using the RNG k−ε, DES, and LES turbulence models. The LES model can more accurately predict the periodic shedding of a cavitating cloud, which is basically consistent with the jet morphology captured with a high−speed camera. The flow pattern, cavitating cloud evolution and shedding period of a cavitating jet are analyzed. The findings demonstrate that the LES model produces a cavitating effect inside the nozzle that is superior to those produced by the RNG k−ε and DES models. The vortex rings in the diffusion section are simulated using the LES model, which accelerates cavitation. The cavitating clouds of the organ pipe nozzle show periodic evolutions, with stages of generation, development, shedding and collapse. The periodic shedding of the cavitating clouds exhibits a similar pattern in the vorticities simulated using the LES model, and the vorticities display the small-scale structures where the cavitating bubbles collapse. This study can provide a reference for the simulation of a cavitating jet and the analysis of the cavitating mechanism.

Analysis of low-order modal coherent structures in cavitation flow field based on dynamic mode decomposition and finite-time Lyapunov exponent

The finite-time Lyapunov exponent (FTLE) method is a mature and practical method for analyzing the characteristics of Lagrangian coherent structures. It can be used for studying the severe impacts of cavitation on the coherent structure of flow. The reduced-order modeling (ROM) method has also significant advantages in extract key features of flow structure. This study analyzed the cloud cavitation flow structure of National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA)0015 hydrofoil. The backward FTLE and ROM were combined, and a comparison was made between the low-order modes of FTLE structure and the FTLE obtained from the low-order modes. The results indicate that the two methods have effectively captured the main coherent structural features of cloud cavitation flow fields. The main characteristic structures captured by the FTLE obtained from the low-order modes of the flow field are much clearer. The first two coherent structures of the FTLE obtained from the low-order modes of the flow field decompose the FTLE of the velocity field into three distinct parts: the leading-edge structure of the hydrofoil, the reflux structure in the middle of the hydrofoil, and the wake region of the hydrofoil. It is proved that the combination of FTLE and ROM can provide a new perspective and means for the analysis of turbulent structures.

Cavitation evolution and flow field characteristics of transient flows with multi-point water-column separations in undulating pipeline

Transient flows with water-flow-induced multi-point cavitation inside an undulating pipeline are investigated experimentally under conditions of fast valve closure for three typical test cases by using high-precision pressure transducers, high-speed photography and particle image velocimetry (PIV) techniques. For low initial velocity condition, the transient pressure at the monitoring point (PT1) downstream the valve quickly decreases to the cavitation pressure and fluctuates near it. The leading-edge velocity of the dispersed bubble-like cavitation group first increases with its occurrence and then accelerates and reaches an extreme value before decreasing to zero due to the viscous force and the decrease of water flow inertia, and finally the water flows upstream in reverse, i.e. the leading-edge accelerates and collapses behind the valve. At the same time, the transient pressure rises sharply to maximum 81.86 m due to the return of the compression wave and then decreases sharply to cavitation again because of the switch of the pressure waves. Then, the second cavitation intensity is weak and the corresponding pattern is fog-like, and finally decreases gradually with a cyclic period of about 0.38 s. The transient pressure at the monitoring point (PT2) at the peak of the undulating pipeline also maintains at the cavitation pressure corresponding to the big bubble occurrence moment in addition to its fluctuation near the cavitation pressure including first and second cavitation. Its maximum pressure is 72.16 m and the corresponding cavitation pattern is small and bigger bubbles at different cavitation stages. For middle initial velocity, the typical pattern of the corresponding cavitation is the large cavity with free surface at PT2, the corresponding higher maximum pressures are 102.36 m at PT1 and 84.81 m at PT2. The evolution process of the cavity including bubble mergence, morphological deformation, motion and collapse is analysed based on the broken wave and hydraulic dynamic theories. For high initial velocity, larger cavities occur both downstream the valve and at the peak point of undulating pipeline, and thus the corresponding higher maximum pressures due to larger cavity collapse are 140.56 m at PT1 and 127.98 m at PT2. In particular, complete water column separation with transparent large cavity occur downstream the valve.

Numerical Investigation of the Cavitation Characteristics in Venturi Tubes: The Role of Converging and Diverging Sections

Cavitation is a typical physical process that has shown to be highly valuable in the wastewater treatment field. This study aims to investigate the effects of the converging and diverging sections of a Venturi tube on the cavitation flow field. Multiphase flows in tubes are presented using the mixture model and the standard k-ε model. And the Schnerr and Sauer cavitation model is employed to simulate the vapor–liquid phase transition process. Both grid independence and the numerical method’s feasibility were validated before the research. The results showed that the influence of the divergence section length on Venturi cavitation characteristics depends on the provided pressure conditions. As the pressure increases, shorter divergence sections result in more significant cavitation effects. The length of the convergence section displays various cavitation behaviors under different pressure situations. A small contraction section length can achieve better cavitation effects in high-pressure applications, whereas the opposite is true in low-pressure cases. Within the scope of this study, it was observed that the Venturi tube with a divergent section of 14 Lt and a convergent one of 2.4 Lt provided enhanced cavitation performance when subjected to inlet pressures ranging from 0.8 to 1.2 MPa. Our findings indicate that the selection of converging and diverging section lengths in Venturi tubes should consider the corresponding operational pressure conditions, which provides valuable guidance and engineering significance in the research and development of Venturi cavitation devices in hydraulic engineering.