Multiphase Fluid Dynamics and Transport Processes of Low Capillary Number Cavitating Flows

To better understand the multiphase fluid dynamics and associated transport processes of cavitating flows at the capillary number of 0.74 and 0.54, and to validate the numerical results, a combined computational and experimental investigation of flows around a hydrofoil is studied based on flow visualizations and time-resolved interface movement. The computational model is based on a modified RNG k-ε model as turbulence closure, along with a vapor-liquid mass transfer model for treating the cavitation process. Overall, favorable agreement between the numerical and experimental results is observed. It is shown that the cavitation structure depends on the interaction of the water-vapor mixture and the vapor among the whole cavitation stage, the interface between the vapor and the two-phase mixture exhibits substantial unsteadiness. And, the adverse motion of the interface relates to pressure and velocity fluctuations inside the cavity. In particular, the velocity in the vapor region is lower than that in the two-phase region. © 2008 The Chinese Society of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics and Springer-Verlag GmbH.