Cavitation Inception on a Circular Cylinder at Critical and Supercritical Flow Range

Abstract

Cavitation tests were performed in the critical and supercritical flow range on circular cylinders with and without boundary layer trip. Mean and fluctuating static pressures were meausred on the smooth circular cylinder from θ = 0 to 180° and on the tripped surface at θ = 104 and 106° corresponding to tripping wire location α = 38 and 40 deg. Through these measurements it was found that cavitation that closely resembles bubble ring cavitation reported on axisymmetric bodies took palce in a reattachment region of the laminar separation bubble for the critical flow range where the laminar separation bubble was present. For the supercritical flow range where the laminar separation bubble disappeared, smooth cavitation with small irregular bubbles at its rear part took place at a location about 100° from the stagnation point.