Numerical simulation on the cavitation of waterjet propulsion pump

Abstract

Waterjet propulsion system is widely used in high speed vessels with advantages of simple transmission mechanism, low noise underwater and good manoeuvrability. Compared with the propeller, waterjet propulsion can be used flow stamping to increasing cavitation resistance at high speed. But under certain conditions, such as low ship speed or high ship speed, cavitation problem still exists. If water-jet propulsion pump is run in cavitation condition for a long time, then the cavitation will cause a great deal of noise CFD is applied to analysis and predict the process of production and development of cavitation in waterjet propulsion pump. Based on the cavitation model of Zwart-Gerber-Belamri and a mixture of homogeneous flow model, commercial CFD software CFX was taken for characteristics of cavitation under the three operating conditions. Commercial software ANSYS 14.0 is used to build entity model, mesh and numerical simulation. The grid independence analysis determine the grid number of mixed flow pump model is about 1.6 million and the grid number of water-jet pump system unit is about 2.7 million. The cavitation characteristics of waterjet pump under three operating conditions are studied. The results show that the cavitation development trend is similar design and small rate of flow condition .Under the design conditions Cavitation bubbles are mainly gathered in suction surface of blade near the inlet side of the hub under the primary stage, and gradually extended to the water side in the direction of the rim with the loss of the inlet total pressure. Cavitation appears in hub before the blade rim, but the maximum value of gas content in blade rim is bigger than that in hub. Under large flow conditions, bubble along the direction of wheel hub extends to the rim gradually. Cavitation is found in the pressure surface of blade near the hub region under the critical point of cavitation nearby. When NPSHa is lower than critical point, the area covering by bubbles is about 40% in the suction surface of blade. It means that the critical point of cavitation of pump system is not the accrue point of install cavitation but cavitation has been developed to a certain stage.