Theory of Scale Effects on Cavitation Inception on Axially Symmetric Bodies

Abstract

On the assumption that the motion of incipient cavitation bubbles on geometrically similar bodies is dynamically similar, the relation between incipient cavitation number kdi and Reynolds number Re has been obtained from the dynamical similarity law deduced from the equation of the motion of spherical bubbles. A comparison of calculated values based on this theory with experimental data obtained by R. W. Kermeen and others shows good agreement at values of Reynolds number greater than the critical Reynolds number. Also, by comparing this theory with the formula by R. T. Knapp, concerning scale effects on cavitation inception, it is shown that Knapp’s formula is a special case of the present theory.