A numerical assessment of the interaction of a supercavitating flow with a gas jet

In this work, the interaction between a ventilated supercavity and a jet are examined using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). CFD results compare favorably to experimental data describing bulk cavity behavior. These validated models are used to develop a number of novel insights into the physical characteristics of the interaction. These interactions are described by: (1) the jet ventilation gas appears to dominate the gas attached to the cavity shear layer, (2) the jet appears to cause additional gas leakage by transitioning the cavity from a recirculating flow to an axial flow, (3) the jet creates more slender cavities, and (4) with sufficient momentum, the jet invokes wake instabilities that drive cavity pulsation.