Numerical Simulation of Three-Dimensional Cavitation Around a Hydrofoil

Abstract

Cavitation around a hydrofoil has significant three-dimensional features. The full cavitation model and a RNG k−ɛ turbulence model with a modified turbulence viscosity coefficient and which related to the vapor and liquid densities in the cavitating region were used to simulate cavitation around a hydrofoil, with emphasizing on cavity’s three-dimensional features. Computations were made on the three-dimensional flow field around a NACA66 hydrofoil at a 6 deg angle of attack. The results show that the shedding frequency on the 3D hydrofoil agrees well with the experimental data. The computed results also capture the main feature of the 3D cavitation, which had a crescent shaped cavity because of the span wise velocity. This span wise velocity is due to the span wise pressure gradient caused by the lateral vortex near the side wall of the tunnel.