Numerical investigation on cavitation flow of hydrofoil and its flow noise with emphasis on turbulence models

Abstract

In this study, cavitation flow of hydrofoils is numerically investigated to characterize the effects of turbulence models on cavitation-flow patterns and the corresponding radiated sound waves. The two distinct flow conditions are considered by varying the mean flow velocity and angle of attack, which are categorized under the experimentally observed unstable or stable cavitation flows. To consider the phase interchanges between the vapor and the liquid, the flow fields around the hydrofoil are analyzed by solving the unsteady compressible Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations coupled with a mass-transfer model, also referred to as the cavitation model. In the numerical solver, a preconditioning algorithm with dual-time stepping techniques is employed in generalized curvilinear coordinates. The following three types of turbulence models are employed: the laminar-flow model, standard k − ε turbulent model, and filter-based model. Hydro-acoustic field formed by the cavitation flow of the hydrofoil is predicted by applying the Ffowcs Williams and Hawkings equation to the predicted flow field. From the predicted results, the effects of the turbulences on the cavitation flow pattern and radiated flow noise are quantitatively assessed in terms of the void fraction, sound-pressure-propagation directivities, and spectrum.