Characteristics of Constrained Cavitating Bluff Body Wakes

Abstract

The wake characteristics of constrained, cavitating two‐dimensional bluff bodies are studied over a large range of blockage. Prismatic sources with fixed separating points are chosen to reduce or eliminate Reynolds number effects. The effect of blockage on the geometrical characteristics of the wake such as the length and width of cavity are obtained. The frequency of cavity pressure pulsations, the pressure histograms, and the mean static pressure distributions along the wake axis are also determined at various cavitating conditions. Efforts are made to obtain the proper velocity and length scales to form the Strouhal numbers to absorb blockage effects. At very large blockages, the generation of small eddies in the shear layers accompanied by a reduction or elimination of Karman vortex street is noticed. Limited studies related to the wake characteristics of a circular source at a moderate blockage of 33% are also reported.