The free/open source software as OpenFOAM,Salome meshing and python language under Debian Linux system are evaluated to model unsteady cavitating turbulent flow around a NACA0015 hydrofoil. Based on the cavitation model proposed by Kunz and large eddy simulation(LES) method, we denote the benefits of free software and open source tools as an alternative to proprietary software of computational fluid mechanics, and provided a modified cavitation model to improve numerical accuracy.The simulation results of typical break-off cycle for cavitation shedding are compared to available experimental data, and validated using image processing to find percentage of similarities. The sheet cavity frequency of 7.752 Hz was obtained based on cavitation evolution and pressure fluctuations. The study gives relevant information for CFD software development in the future.
The unsteady turbulent cloud cavitation around a NACA66 hydrofoil was simulated using the filter-based density corrected model(FBDCM). The cloud cavitation was treated as a homogeneous liquid-vapor mixture and the effects of turbulent eddy viscosity were reduced in cavitation regions near the hydrofoil and in the wake. The numerical results(in terms of the vapor shedding structure and transient pressure pulsation due to cavitation evolution) agree well with the available experimental data, showing the validity of the FBDCM method. Furthermore, the interaction of vortex and cavitation was analyzed based on the vorticity transport equation, revealing that the cavitation evolution has a strong connection with vortex dynamics. A detailed analysis shows that the cavitation could promote the vortex production and flow unsteadiness by the dilatation and baroclinic torque terms in the vorticity transport equation.
In the present paper, a new simulation method is developed for unsteady cavitating flow with air ventilation,which is very useful for alleviating the pressure oscillation in hydroturbine draft tube and reducing the drag force on an underwater vehicle. Because the fluid includes three components, i.e., the water, vapor, and air, the interactions between water–air and water–vapor are treated by applying the level set method, and the effect of surface tension is taken into account in governing equations. Further, the phase change between the water and the vapor is modeled by a homogeneous model,where the effect of air injection is considered by applying the air volume fraction in the mass transport equation. For calibration, the cavitating flows around a cylinder vehicle were simulated using the proposed method, and the numerical results were compared with the experimental data at three different ventilation conditions. The good agreement of cavitation evolutions between the simulation and the experiment indicated that the proposed method was acceptable for the simulation of ventilated cavitating flows with nature cavitation and would be usable for various engineering applications.Moreover, the vorticity analysis depicts that the vortex is closely related to cavitation evolution, and air injection much changes the vorticity production in cavitating flow. It was also revealed that vorticities only occurred in regions with high vapor/air volume fraction and the vortex stretching term created the most vorticities.
