Numerical simulation of cavitating flow over a hydrofoil using finite volume method

Abstract

Two-dImensional finite volume method (FVM) based OilRe)llo1ds a\'erageu l'ia\'lcr-Stokcs equa\lons (RANS) has been used to simulate incompressible flow ~round llydroloil in hoth non-cavitating and cavitating conditions. The CAV2003 hydrofOlI SCClwn is used as test case. A cavitation model based on bubble dynamic:; equationI' is lllclLLuedto lllvcstigaw the un'le~dy behavior of cavitation at different cavitation l1umbero. DilTerenl turbulence lTIodels such a, Spalart-Allmaras, Shear Stress Transport (SST) k-w and RenonllalizallOn Group (RNG) k-s model wilh enhanced wall treatment arc uscG to capture boundary laydaround hydrofoil surface and their effectivenes" are evaluated. It is observed tho! by k-f lurbLllence model shows bettcr performance th~n any other model. For lhis reason. k- t' model associated with mlllliphase model is used only in case of cavitaling 11<1\\. To implement all of these, a conunercial CFD soll"are package, FLUENT 6.~.26 is used for numerical solutions of the governi~g equations The cavitaling study first presents an unsteady behavior of the parlla] ca vily and then super cavity altached to the foil. The computed result in tenn5 of pre,sure coefficient. lift coeflicient and drag coet1lcicnt at different cavitation nllmber, have been shown graphically and in the tabular form. Tile contours of pressllTe distribution h~vc also been displayed graphically. Finally, the flow pattern and hydrml)TIamic characteristics ~re also srudiccl at different angles of attack. Satislactory agreement with tile published numencal results is obtained in hoth cavilatmg and noncavitating conditiolls.