Numerical study on cavitation over flat hydrofoils with arc obstacles

Abstract

Cavitation is a complex and unsteady phenomenon. When the cavity generated at the leading edge extends to the trailing edge, a cloud/supercavitation phenomenon appears. This type of cavitation moving downstream causes the flow to become more unstable. In this paper, the influence of different-sized arc obstacles on the cavitation evolution process is studied. The simulation accuracy is verified by comparing the numerical calculation results with the experimental results. The large edgy simulation results can effectively reproduce the unsteady evolution process of cavity formation, development, and shedding on flat hydrofoils with different structures. Results show that the obstacles of different structures affect the frequency of cavitation shedding and the distribution of air content on the flat hydrofoils. The arc obstacles on the flat hydrofoil can stabilize the cavity at the leading edge and reduce the size of the shedding cavity, thereby inhibiting the evolution of cavitation.