Computational analysis of turbulent super-cavitating flow around a two-dimensional wedge-shaped cavitator geometry

With applications to high-speed military underwater vehicles in mind, super-cavitating flows around two-dimensional or axi-symmetric bodies have long been studied by many researchers. In the present study, a high-speed super-cavitating flow around a two-dimensional symmetric wedge-shaped cavitator was studied using an unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations solver based on a cell-centered finite volume method. To verify the computational method, the flow over a hemispherical head-form body was simulated and validated against existing experimental data. Through the verification tests, the appropriate selection of the domain extents, cell counts, numerical schemes, turbulence models, and cavitation models was studied carefully. Various computational conditions, i.e., different wedge angles and cavitation numbers, were considered for a super-cavitating flow around a wedge-shaped cavitator. Super-cavitation begins to form in the low-pressure region and propagates downstream. The computed cavity lengths on the body were compared with an analytic solution and numerical results using a potential flow solver. Fairly good agreement was observed in the three-way comparison. The computed velocity on the cavity interface was also predicted quite closely to that derived from the Bernoulli’s equation. Finally, a super-cavitating flow around a body equipped with a cavitator was simulated and validated by comparisons with existing experimental data.

► Unsteady RANS solver was developed for super-cavitation around wedge-shaped cavitators.
► Super-cavitating flow was simulated for various wedge angles and cavitation numbers.
► Turbulent super-cavitating flow around a body equipped with a cavitator was validated.