NUMERICAL STUDY OF UNSTEADY SUPERCAVITATION PERTURBED BY A PRESSURE WAVE

The unsteady features of supercavitation disturbed by an introduced pressure wave are investigated numerically using a one-fluid cavitation model. The supercavitating flow is assumed to be the homogeneous mixture of liquid and vapour which are locally under both kinetic and thermodynamic equilibrium. The compressibility effects of liquid water are taken into account to model the propagation of pressure wave through flow and its interaction with supercavitation bubble. The interaction between supercavity enveloping an underwater flat-nose cylinder and pressure wave is simulated and the resulting unsteady behavior of supercavitation is illustrated. It is observed that the supercavity will become unstable under the impact of the pressure wave and may collapse locally, which depends on the strength of perturbation. The huge pressure surge accompanying the collapse of supercavitation may cause the material erosion, noise, vibration and efficiency loss of operating underwater devices.