Numerical investigation of sheet cavitation over a 3-D venturi configuration

Abstract

Sheet cavitation appears in many hydraulic applications and can lead to technical issues. Numerical simulation is a pertinent way to study the phenomenon. A numerical tool based on 1-fluid compressible RANS equations with a cavitation model is used to compute a flow within a 3-D venturi geometry with a 4° divergent angle. In the present work, a detailed study of this cavitating flow, which presents a quasi-stable vapour pocket, is carried out using tools such as Power Spectral Densities or Spectral Proper Orthogonal Decompositions. An oblique oscillation of the cavity is then identified and discussed.