Numerical analysis of cavitating flow past an axisymmetric cylinder with comparison to experiments

Simulation of cavitating flow is of practical importance for many engineering systems such as propellers, pump impellers, nozzles, injectors, and torpedoes. In this study, a two-phase flow solver based on a homogeneous mixture model was developed. Computations were carried out for an axisymmetric cylinder, and the present code was validated by comparing the calculation results with experimental results. The results showed that the system is suitable for simulating evaporation and condensation processes in water flow. What’s more, the changes of cavity length with various operational conditions were calculated including the water depth, angle of attack, and free stream velocity. The conditions for cavitation inception were also studied to show the relationship between the operational conditions in multiphase flows.