Cavitation, as a key factor that influences safe and stable system operations, has been a scientific research challenge in the field of hydraulic machineries. Waterjet pumps are typical hydraulic machineries in which cavitation is generated near rotor blades suction surface (RBSS), and their geometric structures are the main factors that influence cavitation flow. To optimize the cavitation flow of the pumps, the flow laws near the RBSS and generation mechanisms of cavitation should be defined. This study used the shear stress transport (SST k-ω) turbulence model based on the Zwart-Gerber-Belamri cavitation model combining with the experimental method to implement a comparative analysis of the unsteady flow fields near the RBSS under different operating states, in which two blades optimization schemes were proposed. Numerical simulation results demonstrate that the calculation errors are within permissible engineering error range. In the original blade scheme, the unsteady phenomena occur with axial turbulence intensity, shearing stress, and pressure fluctuation near the RBSS at blade inlet-edge. The changes of the unsteady phenomena are acute under different operating states, and the cavitation is enlarged in the unsteady regions. After optimization, the two blades structures effectively optimize the unsteady flow near the RBSS and improve the hydraulic performance and cavitation performance of the pumps. Conclusions obtained in the study have important implications to optimize the cavitation of axial-flow hydraulic machineries.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.