Numerical Investigation of Cavitation Erosion in the Venturi using the Eulerian- Lagrangian Method

Cavitation is a complex phenomenon in fluid mechanics. The occurrence of this phenomenon depends on the important factors and the different factors. The present study examined the erosion caused by collapse bubbles using the Eulerian - Lagrangian approach in a venturi. Cavitation flow in a venturi can be simulated with ANSYS - FLUENT software and with the development of a numerical code in MATLAB software, Lagrangian bubble behavior is simulated. Using the Keller - Miksis equation to simulate the variation of bubble radius and by considering different forces entering the bubble and using Newton’s second law, the bubble motion equation is extracted. From the Ochiai model to evaluate the compressive strength of bubbles caused by bubble collapse on a venturi can be used and the erosion rate is studied in different conditions. The results show the erosion intensity dependent on the initial radius of bubbles, fluid type and the formation of bubbles in the flow. in this case, by increasing the initial radius of bubbles, we witnessed an increase in wear strength to 100 micron of radius, but when the radius of bubbles exceeds this value, the bubbles will be affected when the radius of bubbles is increased, and the results of the data show that the bubble radius increases in the continuation of the flow path. Although the evidence showed that the number of blows was higher, the power reduction was evident.