Analysis of Macroscopic Cavitation Characteristics of a Self-Excited Oscillating Cavitation Jet Nozzle

Abstract

The self-excited oscillating cavitation jet nozzle (SEOCJN) serves as a crucial component for converting hydrostatic energy into dynamic pressure energy and ensuring optimal hydraulic and cavitation performance of cavitating jets. Thus, it is of crucial significance to understand the cavitation characteristics and the influence law of SEOCJN for its extensive industrial applications. This paper utilizes numerical simulation methods to analyze the dynamic process of cavitation initiation, development, and outlet cavitation performance of SEOCJN. It explores the effects of inlet pressure and flow rate on the frequency characteristics of SEOCJN, and establishes a mathematical relationship between self-excited oscillation frequency and outlet flow frequency. The results indicate that the self-excited oscillation nozzle has an inlet diameter (D1) of 4.7 mm, an outlet diameter (D2) of 12.2 mm, a length (L) of 52 mm, a chamber diameter (D) of 83 mm, an oscillation angle of 120°, and an inlet pressure (Pin) of 4.8 MPa. At these parameters, the frequency of the pulse jet reaches 830.01 Hz, with an internal flow period of approximately 0.0024 s. The maximum vapor volume fraction is found to be located 0.28 m from the outlet of the SEOCJN. Furthermore, the frequency of self-excited oscillation pulse increases with an increase in inlet pressure. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the industrial application of self-excited oscillation cavitation jet nozzles.

Keywords

• self-excited oscillating
• cavitation jet
• inlet pressure
• flow
• self-excitation frequency