• International Journal of Fluid Machinery and Systems
• /
• v.10 no.3
• /
• pp.254-263
• /
• 2017

The cavitation erosion remains an industrial issue for many applications. This paper deals with the cavitation intensity, which can be described as the fluid mechanical loading leading to cavitation damage. The estimation of this quantity is a challenging problem both in terms of modeling the cavitating flow and predicting the erosion due to cavitation. For this purpose, a numerical methodology was proposed to estimate cavitation intensity from 3D unsteady cavitating flow simulations. CFD calculations were carried out using Code_Saturne, which enables U-RANS equations resolution for a homogeneous fluid mixture using the Merkle's model, coupled to a $k-{\varepsilon}$ turbulence model with the Reboud's correction. A post-process cavitation intensity prediction model was developed based on pressure and void fraction derivatives. This model is applied on a flow around a hydrofoil using different physical (inlet velocities) and numerical (meshes and time steps) parameters. The article presents the cavitation intensity model as well as the comparison of this model with experimental results. The numerical predictions of cavitation damage are in good agreement with experimental results obtained by pitting test.

• International Journal of Fluid Machinery and Systems
• /
• v.2 no.2
• /
• pp.165-171
• /
• 2009

We developed a 'multi-point vibration acceleration method' for accurately predicting the cavitation intensity in pumps. Pressure wave generated by cavitation bubble collapse propagates and causes pump vibration. We measured vibration accelerations at several points on a casing, suction and discharge pipes of centrifugal and mixed-flow pumps. The measured vibration accelerations scattered because the pressure wave damped differently between the bubble collapse location and each sensor. In a conventional method, experimental constants are proposed without evaluating pressure propagation paths, then, the scattered vibration accelerations cause the inaccurate cavitation intensity. In our method, we formulated damping rate, transmittance of the pressure wave, and energy conversion from the pressure wave to the vibration along assumed pressure propagation paths. In the formulation, we theoretically defined a 'pressure propagation coefficient,' which is a correlation coefficient between the vibration acceleration and the bubble collapse pressure. With the pressure propagation coefficient, we can predict the cavitation intensity without experimental constants as proposed in a conventional method. The prediction accuracy of cavitation intensity is improved based on a statistical analysis of the multi-point vibration accelerations. The predicted cavitation intensity was verified with the plastic deformation rate of an aluminum sheet in the cavitation erosion area of the impeller blade. The cavitation intensities were proportional to the measured plastic deformation rates for three kinds of pumps. This suggests that our method is effective for estimating the cavitation intensity in pumps. We can make a cavitation intensity map by conducting this method and varying the flow rate and the net positive suction head (NPSH). The map is useful for avoiding the operating conditions having high risk of cavitation erosion.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
• /
• v.39 no.2
• /
• pp.77-86
• /
• 2020

In this study, the Eulerian/Lagrangian one-way coupling method is proposed to predict flow noise due to Blade-Tip Vortex Cavitation (BTVC). The proposed method consists of four sequential steps: flow field simulation using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) techniques, reconstruction of wing-tip vortex using vortex model, generation of BTVC using bubble dynamics model and acoustic wave prediction using the acoustic analogy. Because the CFD prediction of tip vortex structure generally suffers from severe under-prediction of its strength along the steamwise direction due to the intrinsic numerical damping of CFD schemes and excessive turbulence intensity, the wing-tip vortex along the freestream direction is regenerated by using the vortex modeling. Then, the bubble dynamics model based on the Rayleigh-Plesset equation was employed to simulate the generation and variation of BTVC. Finally, the flow noise due to BTVC is predicted by modeling each of spherical bubbles as a monople source whose strength is proportional to the rate of time-variation of bubble volume. The validity of the proposed numerical methods is confirmed by comparing the predicted results with the measured data.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
• /
• v.21 no.8
• /
• pp.1077-1085
• /
• 1997

The use of "clean fuels" such as butane, propane, and mixtures of these (LPG) is an attractive way to reduce exhaust emissions. In this study internal flow of the pintle type injector for LPG engine is studied. The breakup of liquid jet is the result of competing, unstable hydrodynamic forces acting on the liquid jet as it exits the nozzle. The nozzle geometry and up-stream injection conditions affect the characteristics of flow inside the nozzle, such as turbulence and cavitation bubbles. A set of calculations of the internal flow in a pintle type nozzle were performed using a two dimensional flow simulation under different nozzle geometry and upstream flow conditions. The calculation showed that the turbulent intensity and discharge coefficient are related to needle leading angle(.alpha.) and needle lift.edle lift.