Collapse Of Cavitation Bubbles Research Articles

Assessment of Cavitation Erosion Using Combined Numerical and Experimental Approach

This paper aims to numerically assess the cavitation damage of hydrodynamic machines and hydraulic components and its development in time, based on cavitation erosion tests with samples of used materials. The theoretical part of this paper is devoted to the numerical simulation of unsteady multiphase flow by means of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and to the prediction of the erosive effects of the collapses of cavitation bubbles in the vicinity of solid surfaces. Compressible unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations (URANS) are solved together with the Zwart cavitation model. To describe the destructive collapses of vapor bubbles, the modeling of cavitation bubble dynamics along selected streamlines or trajectories is applied. The hybrid Euler–Lagrange approach with one-way coupling and the full Rayleigh–Plesset equation (R–P) are therefore utilized. This paper also describes the experimental apparatus with a rotating disc used to reach genuine hydrodynamic cavitation and conditions similar to those of hydrodynamic machines. The simulations are compared with the obtained experimental data, with good agreement. The proposed methodology enables the application of the results of erosion tests to the real geometry of hydraulic machines and to reliably predict the locations and magnitude of cavitation erosion, so as to select appropriate materials or material treatments for endangered parts.

Experimental study on effect of elastic-rigid composite boundary on shockwave from cavitation bubble collapse

Understanding the mechanisms behind the cavitation erosion resistance of elastic materials is the basis for the development of new cavitation erosion resistance materials. This paper employs underwater low-voltage discharge to induce cavitation bubble, combined with high-speed photography, shadowgraph methods, and transient pressure measurement systems to experimentally investigate the evolution and intensity of shockwave from bubble collapse near elastic-rigid composite boundary. Under the condition of constant elastic material thickness, with the bubble–wall distance increasing, shockwave shape evolves from multi-layers to single-layer. The peak pressure of the shockwave shows a trend of decreasing, then increasing, and finally stabilizing with increase in the bubble–wall distance. Furthermore, it was found that the elastic-rigid composite boundary causes the shockwave to reflect twice. As the material thickness increases, the intensity of the first reflected shockwave from the elastic surface decreases initially, then increases, and eventually stabilizes. However, that of the second reflected shockwave decreases. The total energy of the two reflections at the elastic interface is less than 4% of the mechanical energy of the bubble at its maximum volume. Finally, after the energy dissipation by the two reflections and material deformation, the elastic layer substrate withstands over 70% of the total mechanical energy of the cavitation bubble. There is an optimal elastic material thickness to minimize the shockwave load on the elastic layer substrate under the condition that the elastic-rigid composite boundary does not affect the evolution of cavitation bubble shape. These findings are significant for understanding bubble dynamics near elastic-rigid composite boundaries and provide theoretical support for developing cavitation erosion-resistant materials in engineering.

The effects of dynamic factors inside the bubble on sono-hydrogen yield: A numerical study

The formation of H2 by introducing ultrasonic waves to liquid has been widely recognized as a way to provide a clean, efficient, and reliable source of H2, known as Sono-Hydro-Gen. H2 comes from the chemical effects of ultrasonic waves (sonochemistry) caused by the growth and collapse of acoustic cavitation bubbles. In this work, the effects of dynamic parameters (i.e., bubble temperature, the amount of water vapor trapped inside the bubble, and collapse time) in the evolution of cavitation bubbles on H2 production are studied numerically. For an oxygen bubble, computational simulations are performed for the wide range of acoustic amplitudes (1.5–3 atm), ultrasonic frequencies (140–515 kHz), and ambient radii (0.25–20 μm), considering 22 reversible chemical reactions and 10 chemical species inside the bubble. The numerical results show that the amount of water vapor has a significant effect on the bubble collapse temperature. At low excitation amplitudes, the amount of water vapor is not enough to cause the bubble to form a strong collapse. Nevertheless, at high excitation amplitudes, the amount of water vapor is too much to reduce the bubble temperature. There exist optimal values of bubble temperature and amount of water vapor for H2 production. The optimal bubble temperatures are 5267, 4813, 4626, and 3856 K, corresponding to H2 productions of 4.21 × 10−18, 1.29 × 10−18, 2.61 × 10−19, and 8.48 × 10−20 mol, respectively, at ultrasonic frequencies of 140, 213, 355, and 515 kHz. No matter what the excitation parameters are, the optimal water vapor fraction is 0.78 ± 0.04 for H2 production. The obtained results of the present work can provide guidelines for H2 production in acoustic cavitation.

Effect of Induced Wheel and Impeller Inlet Diameter on the Hydrodynamic Performance of High-speed Centrifugal Pumps

The high-speed centrifugal pump plays a crucial role in fields such as aerospace and petrochemical industries, owing to its characteristics of elevated rotational speed and high head. During high-speed operation, the centrifugal pump is prone to cavitation, which alters the fluid flow state within the pump, leading to vibrations, noise, and a sudden decrease in pump head and efficiency. Simultaneously, the collapse of cavitation bubbles generates impact pressure that can damage the pump's internal flow components, significantly reducing its operational lifespan and causing severe consequences. Moreover, under constant-flow conditions, the absolute and relative velocities of the fluid at the impeller inlet are functions of the suction pipe diameter. Therefore, there exists an optimal value for the impeller inlet diameter to enhance the centrifugal pump's resistance to cavitation. Similarly, the different geometric and structural parameters of the inducer also influence the hydraulic performance of the centrifugal pump. The focus of this study is on the external characteristics and internal flow patterns of an optimized high-speed centrifugal pump. In this paper, the entire flow field of the model pump is numerically simulated using ANSYS CFX software. The performance and overall flow field state of the high-speed centrifugal pump under different impeller configurations and inlet diameters are explored. The influence of blade wrap angle and inlet diameter on the high-speed centrifugal pump is revealed, providing a theoretical basis for subsequent optimal design.

Non-Spherical Cavitation Bubbles: A Review

Cavitation is a phase-change phenomenon from the liquid to the gas phase due to an increased flow velocity. As it causes severe erosion and noise, it is harmful to hydraulic machinery such as pumps, valves, and screw propellers. However, it can be utilized for water treatment, in chemical reactors, and as a mechanical surface treatment, as radicals and impacts at the point of cavitation bubble collapse can be utilized. Mechanical surface treatment using cavitation impacts is called “cavitation peening”. Cavitation peening causes less pollution because it uses water to treat the mechanical surface. In addition, cavitation peening improves on traditional methods in terms of fatigue strength and the working life of parts in the automobile, aerospace, and medical fields. As cavitation bubbles are utilized in cavitation peening, the study of cavitation bubbles has significant value in improving this new technique. To achieve this, many numerical analyses combined with field experiments have been carried out to measure the stress caused by bubble collapse and rebound, especially when collapse occurs near a solid boundary. Understanding the mechanics of bubble collapse can help to avoid unnecessary surface damage, enabling more accurate surface preparation, and improving the stability of cavitation peening. The present study introduces three cavitation bubble types: single, cloud, and vortex cavitation bubbles. In addition, the critical parameters, governing equations, and high-speed camera images of these three cavitation bubble types are introduced to support a broader understanding of the collapse mechanism and characteristics of cavitation bubbles. Then, the results of the numerical and experimental analyses of non-spherical cavitation bubbles are summarized.

Synergistic enhancement in hydrodynamic cavitation combined with peroxymonosulfate fenton-like process for bpa degradation: New insights into the role of cavitation bubbles in regulation reaction pathway

The combination of hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) and Fenton-like oxidation technology can dramatically enhance the pollutant removal capacity, however, the synergistic effect of cavitation and catalysts on reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation remained enigmatic. In this study, we established a combined system based on HC and Ce-MnFe2O4 activated peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for BPA removal, and attentions were paid on the role of cavitation bubbles. The results show that the combination of HC in Ce-MnFe2O4 activated PMS could mediate the degradation of BPA from the non-radical pathway dominated by 1O2 to •O2− dominated radical pathway. Both controlled experiments and theoretical calculations revealed that the cavitation bubbles with different sizes play the dominant role in ROS generation. The microjets produced by the collapse of cavitation bubbles could create a large number of oxygen vacancy defects on Ce-MnFe2O4 surface, which modify the activation barrier of PMS and facilitate the generation of •O2− thermodynamically. The stable existing cavitation bubbles with the size of 100∼400 nm could create considerable gas-liquid interface. The molecular dynamics simulations show that the nano bubbles can concentrate the BPA and increase the probability of contacts between BPA and Ce-MnFe2O4, hence effectively solve the issues of short lifetime of •O2− radicals and limited mass transfer distance to strengthen the reaction. In addition, the PMS/Ce-MnFe2O4/HC system not only achieves the satisfied COD (95 %) and TOC (65 %) removal efficiency but also enabled the BPA-contaminated water with a low energy cost of 0.065 kWh·m−3 and oxidant cost, highlighting the application potential of the HC technology for contaminated water.

Researches on the Dynamics of the Cavitation Bubble Near the Rigid Wall with a Hole

Abstract When cavitation bubbles collapse near the wall, the micro-jet and shock wave causes damage to the surface of hydraulic machineries. In severe cases, this damage may lead to structural harm. This paper focuses on the cavitation bubble evolution process near the rigid wall with a hole by the experiment and numerical simulation. The space-time morphological characteristics of the bubble at distinct stages (the growth stage, the collapse stage and the rebound stage) are described for the situation of γ=0.7. The distribution of the pressure and the velocity fields at different stages are elucidate. At γ=0.7, a shock wave with a maximum value of the pressure approximately to 14MPa is emitted when the bubble collapses. Meanwhile, a micro-jet attaining a maximum velocity of about 129 m/s is created. Notably, the micro-jet induced by the collapse of a bubble near the rigid wall with a hole is away from the wall, which is different from the micro-jet caused by the collapse of a bubble near the rigid wall.

Dynamics of single cavitation bubble collapse jet under particle-wall synergy

The interaction between a particle and a cavitation bubble significantly influences the erosive effect on the wall surface of flow passage components in fluid machinery. This paper investigates the dynamics of a single bubble collapse jet under the synergetic effects of a particle and a wall, using Kelvin impulse theory and high-speed photographic experiments. A theoretical model to predict the intensity and direction of the collapse jet at arbitrary locations near the particle and the wall is constructed on the basis of the image method and Weiss's theorem. The accuracy of the model is verified by comparison with a large number of experimental results. The mechanisms underlying the relative contributions of the particle and wall to the behavior of jet intensity and direction are explored. The effects of key parameters on jet intensity and direction are also quantitatively analyzed, including the relative positions of the particle, wall, and the bubble and the dimensionless particle radius. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) the particle will cause a deflection in the direction of the collapse jet near the wall, leading to the formation of a jet attraction zone. The proposed theoretical model effectively predicts the spatial location of this zone. (2) There exists a region in which the jet is weak, and there is a jet equilibrium point with zero impulse between the particle and the wall. The position of this equilibrium point gradually approaches the wall in a nonlinear manner with increasing particle size and in a quasi-linear manner with decreasing particle–wall distance. (3) When the particle and the bubble are the same distance from the wall, the jet direction gradually changes from toward the particle to vertical to the wall in a nonlinear manner as the bubble–particle distance increases. Moreover, the effective range of the particle's influence on the jet direction decreases as the particle–wall distance decreases.

Experimental study on attenuation effect of liquid viscosity on shockwaves of cavitation bubbles collapse

How to precisely control and efficiently utilize the physical processes such as high temperature, high pressure, and shockwaves during the collapse of cavitation bubbles is a focal concern in the field of cavitation applications. The viscosity change of the liquid will affect the bubble dynamics in turn, and further affect the precise control of intensity of cavitation field. This study used high-speed photography technology and schlieren optical path system to observe the spatiotemporal evolution of shockwaves in liquid with different viscosities. It was found that as the viscosity of the liquid increased, the wave front of the collapse shockwave of the cavitation bubble gradually thickened. Furthermore, a high-frequency pressure testing system was used to quantitatively analyze the influence of viscosity on the intensity of the shockwave. It was found that the pressure peak of the shockwave in different viscous liquid was proportional to Lb (L represented the distance between the center of bubble and the sensor measuring point), and the larger the viscosity was, the smaller the value of b was. Through in-depth analysis, it was found that as the viscosity of the liquid increased, the proportion of the shockwave energy of first bubble collapse to the maximal mechanical energy of bubble gradually decreased. The proportion of the mechanical energy of rebounding bubble to the maximal mechanical energy of bubble gradually increased. These new findings have an important theoretical significance for the efficient utilization of ultrasonic cavitation.

Dynamics of the air bubble on the upper surface of a plate: Influences of the cavitation bubble

The interaction of laser-induced cavitation bubbles with air bubbles attached to the upper surface of a horizontal plate was studied with high-speed photography. On the cavitation bubble side, the dimensionless distance parameter, γ=4.5 for vertical jets from cavitation bubbles as proposed in previous research and the dimensionless parameter, γ=5.8 for oblique upward jets have been established. On the attached air bubble side, the relationship between the dimensionless distance parameter, γa and the four types of morphology (Omega, hemisphere, hemisphere to hat with split, and hemisphere to hat without split) of attached air bubbles, as well as the three modes of jets (initial, multiple, and delay), has been demonstrated. The split of the small bubble from the attached bubble is primarily due to the vertical velocity differences brought about by the multiple collapses of cavitation bubbles and the pulsation of attached bubbles. Subsequent studies on the detachment behavior of attached bubbles determined the ideal dimensionless distance, γa=3.4 for detachment. The surface ripples play a dominant role in promoting the detachment of attached bubbles at greater distances.

Feasibility study on the micro-forming of novel metal foil arrays based on submerged cavitating water-jet impingement

With the increasing demand for metal foil parts with micro-array structures in micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), it is urgent to explore a novel array micro-forming technology with high efficiency, low cost, and high flexibility. The cavitation water jet uses the high-energy shock wave generated by the collapse of the cavitation bubble group as the loading force. It has the characteristics of large range of action, uniform pressure distribution, and can realize large-area array micro-forming processing. To verify the feasibility of cavitating water jet array micro-forming, this paper performs cavitating water jet array micro-forming on 304 stainless steel foil with a thickness of 80 μm, and analyzes the variation of cavitation bubbles collapse impact zone with target distance. The effects of target distance and impact time on the forming quality of metal foil array micro-holes were studied from the aspects of forming depth, surface roughness, and thickness thinning rate. The results show that the forming depth and uniformity of the array micro-holes located in the cavitation collapse area increase with time. However, with the increase of target distance, the forming depth increases first and then decreases. When the target distance is L = 120 mm, the forming depth reaches the maximum. The surface roughness ( Ra) of the array micro hole is Ra = 1.54 μm. The thickness thinning rate of the micro-forming parts is between 2% and 10%, and the maximum thickness thinning rate in the die fillet area is 13.5%. This paper provides a novel processing method for manufacturing metal foil parts with micro array structure.

Study on the evolution of heterogeneous double-cavity induced by near-wall and the fluctuation characteristics of load field

It is well known that the collapse of heterogeneous multi-cavity near the wall will induce the fluctuation of the load field. To address this problem, the Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) is applied to model the three-phase coupling between gas-liquid-solid. The objective is to investigate the evolution of heterogeneous double bubbles and the spatial-temporal distribution characteristics of wall loads induced near the wall. In this study, the pseudopotential Multi-Relaxation-Time Lattice Boltzmann Model (MRT-LBM) and the Carnahan-Starling Equation of State (C-S-EOS) with an extended format for the external force term are used. The effects of the distance of the bubble to the wall, the pressure differences between the inside and outside of the bubble, and the relative size of the bubble on the dynamic evolution and the load distribution characteristics of heterogeneous multi-bubbles near the wall are investigated in order to determine the influence of these factors. Under a two-dimensional pressure field, the collapse process of double cavitation bubbles is visualized. Through the flow field, the morphological changes of the cavitation bubble collapse near the wall are also described. Various parameters are found to have an influence on the evolution of double cavitation bubbles near the wall and the resulting load field. The study employs the Lattice Boltzmann Method and the Potential Model for the analysis of the heterogeneous bubble collapses in the near wall region.

Cavitation erosion performance and phase transformation strengthening behavior of laser clad iron-based shape memory alloy coatings

In order to avoid cavitation damage on the surface of overcurrent components after long-term service, the surface is reinforced with a coating to improve its cavitation resistance, thus prolonging service life. The present study employed analytical techniques, such as X-ray diffractometry (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), to investigate the cavitation erosion performance of laser clad Fe-Mn-Si-Cr-Ni shape memory alloy (SMA) coatings with focus on the enhancing mechanism of their martensitic phase transformation. The results indicated that laser cladding could produce high-quality SMA coatings, free of defects such as pores and cracks, resulting in a significant improvement in the cavitation erosion performance. After 5 h of the cavitation, the coated samples remained in the cavitation erosion incubation stage, demonstrating an accumulated mass loss rate of approximately 0.12 mg/h, merely 13 % of that observed in the matrix samples. Extensive microstructural delamination occurred in the matrix samples after 5 h of the cavitation, whereas the coated samples exhibited only "shear bands" formed by plastic deformation on the surface. The martensitic phase transformation from γ-austenite to ε-martensite served to dissipate the stress induced by cavitation bubble collapse on one hand, and, on the other hand, the robust nature of martensite produced a hardening effect, significantly enhancing the cavitation resistance of the coating.

Numerical study of shock waves and supersonic jets triggered by cavitation bubble collapse in different pressurized ambiences

Numerical study of shock waves and supersonic jets triggered by cavitation bubble collapse in different pressurized ambiences

Reproducing wrought grain structure in additive IN718 through nanosecond laser induced cavitation

Pulsed laser assisted additive manufacturing has been demonstrated as a promising technology for controlling grain structure in 3D-printing processes. The integration of a nanosecond laser onto a wire arc additive manufacturing tool has enabled the localized printing of Inconel 718 with grain sizes meeting ASTM 9 standards (average measured grain size of 13.7μm) for wrought material within a single bead under solidification conditions that would otherwise produce 340μm columnar grains. The observed grain refinement holds promise, provided scale up is possible, for overcoming the highly anisotropic mechanical properties and microcracking associated with large columnar grains of Inconel 718 that have long stood in the way of leveraging the advantages of direct energy deposition printing techniques of difficult to machine alloys. Experiments on large bead sizes allowed for decoupling surface versus bulk nanosecond laser/liquid metal interaction mechanisms to determine that the source of the observed grain refinement is the collapse of cavitation bubbles originating from acoustic waves generated by momentum transfer into the melt of an ablation plasma. Additionally, experiments that increased the cavitation bubble density within the mushy zone during solidification by tuning the nanosecond laser scan path went beyond the 25 times reduction in grain size to a 70 times factor of refinement with a minimum average grain diameter approaching 4μm.

Impact of induced shock waves on cavitation bubble collapse dynamics and load characteristics

Impact of induced shock waves on cavitation bubble collapse dynamics and load characteristics

Effects of Materials and Riblets on Erosion Mitigation Induced by Multiple Collapses of Cavitation Bubbles

The current research investigates the effects of materials and riblets on cavitation-induced erosion morphology, depth, and cross-sectional area through experimental approaches. To achieve these aims, the erosion of pure aluminum (1xxxAl or Al) and alpha brass (CuZn37 or CZ108), in the presence and absence of bio-inspired sawtooth riblets, was examined after exposure to multiple collapses of single cavitation bubbles with a wall distance of 1.8 (dimensionless). The results indicate that the erosion morphology resembles a rounded cone with a circular cross-section. Brass provides 21.6% more erosion resistance compared to that of Al in terms of material properties. Furthermore, the erosion for both Al (depth by 3.8% and width by 18.3%) and brass (depth by 7.9% and width by 27.4%) decreases in the presence of riblets compared to the results for flat surfaces. The greater erosion resistance of brass compared to Al is attributed to the superior mechanical stability of brass, making it a potentially suitable alloy for use in propellers and hulls in the shipping industry. In summary, the results reveal that riblet-equipped materials with high mechanical durability are promising erosion-resistant materials for the shipping industry. However, the potential for chemical reactions in a cathodic environment should be addressed to provide a comprehensive perspective in regards to reducing corrosion intensity.

Embedment of WENO-Z reconstruction in Lagrangian WLS scheme implemented on GPU for strongly-compressible multi-phase flows

It is a notoriously challenge problem for Lagrangian particle methods to solve compressible flows with strong discontinuities and large volume variations. To overcome the problems of numerical oscillations, an accurate and stable Lagrangian Weighted-Least-Square (LWLS) method embedded with WENO-Z scheme (LWLS-WENO-Z) is proposed. To further enhance the numerical accuracy and stability, the particle shifting technique, the multi-level local-refinement technique, and the interface repulsive force are appropriately employed in the numerical scheme. Moreover, the smooth and stable coupled particle method between the LWLS and Roe's Riemann solver (LWLS-RR) is considered for the comparisons, further demonstrating the merit of the proposed LWLS-WENO-Z scheme. To reduce the simulation time, parallel computing with a CUDA-based program for the proposed scheme is implemented on a single GPU. In the numerical experiments, several 1D/2D benchmarks are solved to test the accuracy of the proposed method. Particularly, the challenge 2D underwater explosion and the cavitation bubble collapse and jetting are numerically investigated. Compared to other reference solutions, the present coupled particle method demonstrates robustness and superior accuracy in simulating these strongly-compressible multi-phase flows.

Experimental study on cavitation characteristics and pressure load of actively ventilated double-vehicle configuration during water exit

The cavitation phenomenon is widely observed in the cross-medium movement of vehicles, seriously affecting their structural safety and motion stability. Attempts to control these effects include active ventilation, although existing research on active ventilation techniques has focused on single-vehicle configurations. In real situations, multiple vehicles may exit the water at the same time. However, the cavitation development process of the double vehicles during the water exit is completely different from that of the single vehicle, and the flow field around it is also quite different. Therefore, it is necessary to research the water-exit process of actively ventilated double-vehicle configurations. In this article, a double-vehicle water-exit device that injects high-pressure gas is designed, and the factors influencing changes in the cavitation bubbles are studied, such as the launch speed and environmental pressure. The water exit of a single vehicle under the same conditions is considered as the control case. According to our results, active ventilation effectively relieves the cavitation suppression phenomenon between the two vehicles, and reduces the pressure peak at which the cavitation bubbles collapse. Factors such as the launch speed, environmental pressure, and ventilation rate have a significant influence on the development of cavitation bubbles, especially their size. The influence of these factors on the pressure is mainly realized by changing the thickness of the cavity and the initial pressure.

Kelvin-Helmholtz instability as one of the key features for fast and efficient emulsification by hydrodynamic cavitation

The paper investigates the oil–water emulsification process inside a micro-venturi channel. More specifically, the possible influence of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability on the emulsification process. High-speed visualizations were conducted inside a square venturi constriction with throat dimensions of 450 µm by 450 µm, both under visible light and X-Rays. We show that cavity shedding caused by the instability results in the formation of several cavity vortices. Their rotation causes the deformation of the oil stream into a distinct wave-like shape, combined with fragmentation into larger drops due to cavitation bubble collapse. Later on, the cavity collapse further disperses the larger drops into a finer emulsion. Thus, it turns out that the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability is similarly characteristic for hydrodynamic cavitation emulsification inside a microchannel as is the Rayleigh-Taylor instability for acoustically driven emulsion formation.