Effect of Grooves on Cavitation Around the Body of Revolution

Abstract

Cavitation occurs widely in hydraulic machines, water and underwater vehicles, and lots of other equipments operating with liquids. Much research has been carried out to find out the factors affecting the degree of cavitation for better control of this phenomenon. In this study, the effects of grooves distributed around the body of revolution on cavitation are investigated using experimental and numerical methods. The experimental results show that the position and shape of the cavity clouds are affected by the dimensions of the grooves. A numerical simulation using the finite volume method indicates that the grooves influence the pressure distribution in the whole flow field and induce significant pressure fluctuation. The minimum pressure in each groove occurs on the top of the groove’s “windward” edge and decreases as the groove width is increased. Comparing the experimental and numerical results, it is found that cavitation is closely related to the local pressure of the fluid. Multiple grooves around the body of revolution induce pressure fluctuation. The groove width affects the amplitude and interval of the fluctuation and consequently influences the distribution of cavitation.