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Multiphase fluid dynamics and transport processes of low capillary number cavitating flows

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Abstract

To better understand the multiphase fluid dynamics and associated transport processes of cavitating flows at the capillary number of 0.74 and 0.54, and to validate the numerical results, a combined computational and experimental investigation of flows around a hydrofoil is studied based on flow visualizations and time-resolved interface movement. The computational model is based on a modified RNG k-ε model as turbulence closure, along with a vapor–liquid mass transfer model for treating the cavitation process. Overall, favorable agreement between the numerical and experimental results is observed. It is shown that the cavitation structure depends on the interaction of the water–vapor mixture and the vapor among the whole cavitation stage, the interface between the vapor and the two-phase mixture exhibits substantial unsteadiness. And, the adverse motion of the interface relates to pressure and velocity fluctuations inside the cavity. In particular, the velocity in the vapor region is lower than that in the two-phase region.

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Abbreviations

c :

chord length of hydrofoil

C ε1RNG, C ε2RNG, C μRNG :

empirical constants

F e , F c , α nuc :

empirical constants

k :

turbulent kinetic energy

\({{\dot {m}^+}}\) :

evaporation rate

\({{\dot {m}^-}}\) :

condensation rate

n :

empirical constant

P B :

pressure in the vapor bubble

p k :

source term represents the production of k

P sat :

saturated vapor pressure

P turb :

local turbulent pressure fluctuating

P v :

phase-change threshold pressure of vapor

P ∞ :

reference static pressure

R B :

vapor bubble radius

Re :

Reynolds number

S :

bubble surface tension

U :

reference velocity

u :

velocity component in x-direction

v :

velocity component in y-direction

α v :

vapor volume fractio

ε :

turbulent dissipation rate

μ :

liminar viscosity

μ t :

turbulent viscosity

ν :

kinematic viscosity

ρ :

density of liquid-vapor mixture

ρ l :

density of liquid

ρ v :

density of vapor

σ :

cavitation number

σ kRNG, σ εRNG :

empirical constants

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Thermal Energy Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, 100081, Beijing, China

    Xiangbin Li, Guoyu Wang & Zhiyi Yu

  2. Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering, North China Electric Power University, 102206, Beijing, China

    Xiangbin Li

  3. Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA

    Wei Shyy

Authors
  1. Xiangbin Li
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  2. Guoyu Wang
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  3. Zhiyi Yu
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  4. Wei Shyy
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Correspondence to Guoyu Wang.

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The project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (50679001) and NASA Constellation University Institutes Program.

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Li, X., Wang, G., Yu, Z. et al. Multiphase fluid dynamics and transport processes of low capillary number cavitating flows. Acta Mech Sin 25, 161–172 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10409-008-0188-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10409-008-0188-4

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