Two-Phase CFD Modeling of Three-Dimensional Supercavitating Flows

One of the most effective ways of high-speed motion in water is the motion in the supercavitation regime. This way provides the possibility to avoid considerable viscose resistance of boundary layer and consequently reach to very small drag coefficient which can be several times smaller than, that of the continuous flow. In this study the numerical simulation of developed and supercavitating flow is performed. The CFX code which served as a platform for the present work is a three-dimensional code that solves the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes equations with a finite volume method. The cavitation model is implemented based on the use of Rayleigh-Plesset equation to estimate the rate of vapor production. A high Reynolds number form ĸ-ε model is implemented to provide turbulence closure. For steady state flows and poor mesh resolution near the wall (using log-law wall functions), there is a priori no difference between the two equations formulations. For the different case studies, multi-block structured meshes were generated and the numerical simulation is performed in a wide range of cavitation numbers. Results are presented for steady state flows with natural cavitation about various bodies. Comparisons are made with available measurement of surface pressure distribution, cavitation bubble geometry (cavity length and cavity width) and drag coefficient. The simulated results are in a good agreement with the experimental data. Finally, the three-dimensional results are presented for a submerged body running at several angles of attack.