A new multi-phase model for low speed gas/liquid mixtures is presented; it does not require ad-hoc closure models for the variation of mixture density with pressure and yields thermodynamically correct acoustic propagation for multi-phase mixtures. The solution procedure has an interface-capturing scheme that incorporates an additional scalar transport equation for the gas void fraction. Cavitation is modeled via a finite rate source term that initiates phase change when liquid pressure drops below its saturation value. The numerical procedure has been implemented within a multi-element unstructured framework CRUNCH that permits the grid to be locally refined in the interface region. The solution technique incorporates a parallel, domain decomposition strategy for efficient 3D computations. Detailed results are presented for sheet cavitation over a cylindrical head form and a NACA 66 hydrofoil.

Numerical simulations of cavitation in liquid nitrogen and liquid hydrogen are presented; they represent a broader class of problems where the fluid is operating close to its critical temperature and thermal effects of cavitation are important. A compressible, multiphase formulation that accounts for the energy balance and variable thermodynamic properties of the fluid is described. Fundamental changes in the physical characteristics of the cavity when thermal effects become significant are identified; the cavity becomes more porous, the interface less distinct, and it shows increased spreading while getting shorter in length. The heat transfer model postulated in variants of the B-factor theory, where viscous thermal diffusion at the vapor-liquid interface governs the vaporization, is shown to be a poor approximation for cryogenic fluids. In contrast the results presented here indicate that the cavity is sustained by mass directly convecting into it and vaporization occurring as the liquid crosses the cavity interface. Parametric studies for flow over a hydrofoil are presented and compared with experimental data of Hord (1973, “Cavitation in Liquid Cryogens II—Hydrofoil,” NASA CR-2156); free-stream velocity is shown to be an independent parameter that affects the level of thermal depression.

A method is presented for redesigning a centrifugal impeller and its inlet duct. The double-discharge volute casing is a structural constraint and is maintained for its shape. The redesign effort was geared towards meeting the design volute exit pressure while reducing the power required to operate the fan. Given the high performance of the baseline impeller, the redesign adopted a high-fidelity CFD-based computational approach capable of accounting for all aerodynamic losses. The present effort utilized a numerical optimization with experiential steering techniques to redesign the fan blades, inlet duct, and shroud of the impeller. The resulting flow path modifications not only met the pressure requirement, but also reduced the fan power by 8.8% over the baseline. A refined CFD assessment of the impeller/volute coupling and the gap between the stationary duct and the rotating shroud revealed a reduction in efficiency due to the volute and the gap. The calculations verified that the new impeller matches better with the original volute. Model-fan measured data was used to validate CFD predictions and impeller design goals. The CFD results further demonstrate a Reynolds-number effect between the model- and full-scale fans.

T his paper details the results of an experimental investigation into the cavitation instabilities created by a circular orifice conducted at the University of A labama in H untsville Propulsion Resea rch C enter. T his experiment was conducted in concert with a computational simulation to serve as a reference point for the simulation. T esting was conducted using liquid nitrogen as a cryogenic propellant simulant. A 1.06 cm diameter thin orifice with a rounded inlet was tested in an approximately 1.25 kg/s flow with inlet pressures ranging from 504.1 kPa to 829.3 kPa. Pressure fluctuations generated by the orifice were measured using a high frequency pressure sensor located 0.64 tube diameters downstream of the orifice. F ast Fourier T ransforms were performed on the high frequency data to determine the instability frequency. Shedding resulted in a primary frequency with a cavitation related subharmonic frequency. For this experiment, the cavitation instability ranged from 153 H z to 275 H z. A dditionally, the strength of the cavitation occur red as a function of cavitation number. A t lower cavitation numbers, the strength of the cavitation instability ranged from 2.4 % to 7 % of the inlet pressure. However, at higher cavitation numbers, the strength of the cavitation instability ranged from 0.6 % to 1 % of the inlet pressure.

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