International Journal of Scientific Research Engineering & Technology (IJSRET), ISSN 2278 0882

Volume 4, Issue 9, September 2015

Numerical Investigation on the Cavitating Flow in a Water Jet Pump

Nitin Kumar Dengre1, Rohit Kumar Choudhary2, Suresh Kumar Badholiya3
1
Department of Mechanical Engineering, B.I.T.S. college, Bhopal.
2
Department of Mechanical Engineering, B.I.T.S. college, Bhopal.
3
Department of Mechanical Engineering, B.I.T.S. college, Bhopal.

ABSTRACT

1. INTRODUCTION

For water jet systems operating in marine ships

cavitation are phenomenon that often occur. The
presence of vapour in the flow affects the performance
of the pump and as the cavity grows the pump efficiency
drastically reduces to a level where the pump cannot
operate normally. Due to this influence on the pump
performance it is of main interest to be able to predict
the behaviour of the cavitation process. In many
engineering applications, cavitation has been the subject
of extensive theoretical and experimental research since
it has predominantly been perceived as an undesirable
phenomenon. This is mainly due to the detrimental
effects of cavitation such as erosion, noise and
vibrations, caused by the growth and collapse of vapour
bubbles. The ability to model cavitator flows has drawn
strong interest in CFD community. It covers a wide
range of applications, such as pumps, hydraulic turbines,
inducers and fuel cavitation in orifices as commonly
encountered in fuel injection systems. Fluid machinery is
a common application where low pressures are routinely
generated by the machine action, e.g. on blade surfaces,
with a consequent possibility of cavitation. Existence of
cavitation is often undesired, because it can degrade the
device performance, produce undesirable noise, lead to
physical damage to the device and affect the structural
integrity. Details of the existence, extent and effects of
cavitation can be of significant help during the design
stages of fluid machinery, in order to minimize
cavitation or to account for its effects and optimize the
design. Past several decades have seen considerable
research on cavitation and extensive reviews are
available in the literature. Different aspects of this
complex phenomenon have been explored, including,
e.g., cavitation bubble collapse and erosion damage,
cavitation acoustics, cloud cavitation and rotating
cavitation. Based on the assumption that the flow is in
viscid, various numerical methods have been thus far
proposed to simulate Cavitating flows the conformal
mapping method, the singularity method, and the panel
method.
Keywords - Cavitation, CFD, Water jet pump, Cloud
Cavitation, Mixture Model

Cavitation is the formation of vapour within a liquid due

to decrease of pressure below the saturated vapour
pressure. It can be observed in devices such as turbo
machinery and hydraulic internal hydraulic pressure and
additional axial compressive loads to force a tubular
blank to conform to the shape of a given die cavity. With
the advancements in computer controls and highconstructions. When the velocity is increased there may
be areas where the pressure drops below the vaporization
pressure and cavitation is developed. If these Cavitating
areas grow, the vapour/ liquid structures can affect the
performance of a pump significantly. As the vapour
reaches a higher pressure region the cavity collapses, a
phenomenon strongly connected to noise and vibration.
These drawbacks make cavitation an important issue in
turbo machinery design and operation. Cavitating flow is
very sensitive to the formation and transport of vapour
bubbles, the turbulent fluctuations of pressure and
velocity and to the magnitude of non-condensable gases,
which are dissolved or ingested in the operating liquid.
Numerical simulation of two-phase Cavitating flows is
an ongoing research effort with the ambitious goal to
compute the unsteady evolution for cavities grow and
collapse. The CFD community has developed so far a set
of mature techniques for simulating single-phase viscous
flows, and the past half century of accumulated
experience may very well serve to shape the numerical
Cavitating flow research. Early studies rely on the
potential flow theory. This approach is now able to
correctly describe partially Cavitating two-dimensional
hydrofoils, including the re-entrant jet cavity closure
model. However, extension to 3D problems and other
types of Cavitating flows seems to be out of reach for
the potential flow model. . Although basic cavitation
theoretical studies deal with bubble (or bubble clouds)
dynamics by solving for the vapour-liquid interface,
most of the practical Cavitating flows are approached
using a homogeneous flow theory. The main idea is to
consider a single variable density fluid, without explicit
phase interfaces. This model has emerged after carefully
examining available experimental investigations, as well
as by evaluating the computational costs involved in

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International Journal of Scientific Research Engineering & Technology (IJSRET), ISSN 2278 0882
Volume 4, Issue 9, September 2015

Cavitating flows modelling. A review of Cavitating

flows numerical studies over the past decade can be
found in, where various Reynolds Averaged Navier(RANS) solvers have been modified to account for the
secondary phase (vapour and gas) dynamics. The
mixture model is used in the current work for the
numerical simulation of Cavitating flows with the
FLUENT expert code. In this model, the flow is
assumed to be in thermal and dynamic equilibrium at the
interface where the flow velocity is assumed to be
continuous. Cavitation is a physical phenomenon of
liquid not to withstand the external stress. Especially,
water vaporizes easily under certain vapour pressure.
Cavitation is observed in many hydrodynamic
mechanical devices such as pump, turbine, nozzle and
marine propeller, and could have an intensive effect on
the performance of them. Cavitation causes erosion and
abrasion of a metal surface, and vibration and noise of a
system. However, for military purposes such as
torpedoes, it is necessary to generate partial- or supercavitation to reduce a viscous drag intentionally. To
prevent and use cavitation technically, its understanding
and prediction are essential. Cavitation phenomenon is
divided into three stages. Initial cavitation is the bubble
stage which causes bad influence on mechanical
systems. Partial cavitation is the stage at which cavity
covers the body partially. Super- cavitation is the stage
where cavity length exceeds the characteristic length of
the body. The velocity of underwater body moving in
super-Cavitating flow could reach higher than 20 knots.
This paper deals with super-cavitation around a twodimensional cavitator. Thanks to the rapid advancement
of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and computing
resources, numerical studies on mathematical modeling
of cavitation have been widely popular recently. The
Lagrangian approach focuses on the behaviour of
discrete bubbles using bubble tracking and bubble
dynamics equations. Chahine1 computed cavitation
inception and noise of a marine propeller using the
Lagrangian approach. The Eulerian approach is based on
the homogeneous mixture approximation. The mixture
flow moves at the same velocity and each mixture phase
is determined by solving a volume fraction transport
equation. The Eulerian approach was divided into the bar
tropic relation model and two phase mixture model. .
The bar tropic relation model solves a single continuity
equation with the bar tropic relation equation between
pressure and density. On the other hand, the two phase
mixture model deals with two phase continuity equations
with the volume fraction transport. The transport
equations are different by different developers and show
reasonable results against existing experimental data.

Park and Rhe summarized characteristics of various adhoc cavitation models for CFD. Along with
mathematical cavitation models, researches on numerical
scheme for Cavitating flow have been done. Kunz et al.
suggested preconditioning strategy with favourable
Eigen-system characteristics and a block implicit dualtime solution strategy for high density ratio Cavitating
flow. Senocak and Shy developed pressure-velocitydensity scheme into the pressure correction equation and
applied upwind density interpolation in the cavity
region. Bilanceri et al suggested an implicit lowdiffusive Harten-Lax-van Ler (HLL) scheme with
implicit time advancing for bar tropic Cavitating flow.
1.1 Cavitation types Depending on the flow
configurations different types of cavitation can be
observed. There are two main categories into which the
different cavitation types can be divided; attached
cavitation and convicted cavitation. Attached cavitation
is when a part of the cavity is connected to a surface, e.g.
sheet cavitation and tip vortex cavitation. Convicted
cavitation corresponds to a cavity, which is exclusively
carried by the convicting flow, e.g. bubble cavitation and
cloud cavitation.
1.1.1 Bubble cavitation: Individual bubbles are
travelling with the convicting flow as they expand and
collapse. This phenomenon occurs for low pressure
gradient flows, corresponding to a flow around a
hydrofoil at a low incidence angle.
1.1.2 Sheet cavitation: As the incidence angle of a
hydrofoil increases a separated zone of vapor starts to
take form. This cavity can be of different size. A sheet
cavity that closes on the suction surface of the foil is
called partial cavitation whereas super cavitation
covers the entire foil. Where the cavity closes and meets
the surface a stagnation point appear and a part of the
flow, the so called re-entrant jet is turned back towards
the leading edge of the hydrofoil. As the re-entrant jet
propagates along the foil surface the sheet cavity is
shedding away from the hydrofoil.
1.1.3 Cloud cavitation: After the collapse of the sheet
cavity the bubble density increases and a cavitation
cloud moves downstream with a rotating motion. Cloud
cavitation may be seen in other flows with temporal
periodicity. In a pump this periodicity may occur due to
fluctuations caused by the rotor-stator-interaction.
1.1.4 Vortex cavitation: Flows of high Reynolds

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International Journal of Scientific Research Engineering & Technology (IJSRET), ISSN 2278 0882
Volume 4, Issue 9, September 2015

number often contain regions of concentrated vorticity.

In the vortex core the pressure is much smaller than in
the rest of the flow, therefore this is a critical zone for
cavitation. In pump flows this phenomenon can occur at
the tip vortices and be seen as a helix travelling
downstream

2. LITERATURE
Cavitating flows are notoriously complex because they
are highly turbulent and unsteady flows involving two
species (liquid/vapor) with a large density difference.
These features pose a unique challenge to numerical
modeling works. This paper reports recent developments
and application studies on Computational Fluid
Dynamics (CFD) for cavitating flow.
The examples of latest technologies for the solver
algorithm, physical models (turbulence and cavitation)
and meshing tools are presented. The current effort is
based on the application of the recently developed full
cavitation model that utilizes the modified RayleighPlesset equations for bubble dynamics and includes the
effects of turbulent pressure fluctuations to rotating
cavitation in different types of fluid turbomachines.
Comparisons with available experimental data are used
to assess the accuracy of numerical results Sandor
BERNAD*, Romeo SUSAN-RESIGA**, Sebastian
MUNTEAN*, Ioan ANTON A robust CFD model is
described, suitable for general three-dimensional flows
with extensive cavitation at large density ratios. The
model utilizes a multiphase approach, based on volumescalar-equations, a truncated Rayleigh-Plesset equation
for bubble dynamics, and specific numerical
modifications (in a finite-volume solution approach) to
promote robust solutions when cavitation is present. The
model is implemented in the CFD software CFX
TASCflow 2.12. The validation of the model was done
on an inducer designed and tested at LEMFI. First, The
physical model and the numerical aspects are described.
Then, the experimental and numerical methodologies, at
cavitating regime, are presented. Finally, for several
flow rates, the comparisons between experimental and
simulated results on the overall performances, head drop
and cavitation figures, are discussed. For a range of flow
rates, good agreement between experiment and
prediction was found. The cavitation model used is the
default one. F. Bakir and R. Rey. implemented in these
codes. It is based on the so-called VOF (Volume of
Fluid) model. In order to simulate the liquid/vapour
mass transfer, a mass source term in the volume fraction

transport equation is derived from a first order

approximation of the Rayleigh-Plesset equation [Ait
Bouziad, 2006][Bakir et al, 2004]. We consider in this
current work the appearance of cavitation phenomena on
helico-centrifugal pump. Experimental investigations
have been lead on CETIMs ridge and numerical
prediction of this behaviour has been investigated
around nominal point. Two commercial CFD packages
were used to run numerical studies: CFXTASC flow and
ANSYS-CFX10. Results obtained are compared with
experimental data such as Head, NPSH, and efficiency
and cavitation development on the blade. The choice of
these two commercial software is justified by the fact
that CFX-TASC flow has been a reference for turbo
machinery applications [Hirschi et al, 1998][Ait
Bouziad et al., 2003-2006][Bakir et al, 2003,
2004][Catelan 2005]. The transport equation models of
cavitation suggested by Alajbegovic, Grogger et Philipp
and Yuan, et al, use the simplistic Rayleigh model. This
model describes the limiting case of inertia-controlled
growth of a spherical bubble in a liquid under a step
variation in pressure of the surrounding liquid. However,
this model cannot accurately describe bubble collapse
and neglects a number of effects, which determine the
behaviour of cavitation bubbles. Recently, progress has
been made in the development of numerical models for
calculation of cavitation flows. Though the models may
differ in terms of realization(using the single fluid or
multi-fluid frame-work, the Eulerian- Eulerian or
Eulerian- Lagrangian approaches), all of them are
empirical to a certain level. Significant progress has been
achieved recently in the development of homogeneous
mixture (single-fluid) models for the simulation of threedimensional transient Cavitating flows. These models
allow single-fluid solvers to be applied to the
conservation equations for the mixture, without increase
in computational cost due to the increase in the number
of conservation equations when applying the multi-fluid
flow concept. The present work is an investigation to
develop a relevant physical model to simulate the
Cavitating flow. The main goal is the development of
computational methodologies which can provide
detailed description of the numerical set up for
modelling and simulation the cavitation with the CFD
code.

3. REVIEW OF CFD ANALYSES ON

WATER JET INLETS
Calculations for a three dimensional water jet inlet have

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International Journal of Scientific Research Engineering & Technology (IJSRET), ISSN 2278 0882
Volume 4, Issue 9, September 2015

been reported by Frde et al. For the calculations an

Euler method was employed, but computed results were
not validated with measurements. The presented velocity
distribution at the impeller plane is not in agreement
with a typical flush type waterjet inlet. This is caused by
the neglect of the boundary layer velocity profile at the
inlet and absence of viscous effects in the method,
necessary for describing the development of the
boundary layer in the inlet duct.
A potential flow method has been applied by Van
Terwisga. Comparison of the calculated pressure
distribution along the ramp and the cutwater (or inlet lip)
with experimental data shows large deviations. This is
due to the neglect of viscous losses and due to small
deviations in the calculated velocity field near the
stagnation point at the cutwater. A small deviation of the
angle of attack at the cutwater can lead to relatively large
differences in the prediction of the static pressure
distribution.

This study examines the pressure-driven cavitating flow

of water through a sharp-edged orifice. This is a typical
configuration in fuel injectors, and brings a challenge to
the physics and numerics of cavitation models because
of the high pressure differentials involved and the high
ratio of liquid to vapour density. Using the multiphase
modeling capability of ANSYS CFX, we will be able to
predict the strong cavitation near the orifice after flow
separation at a sharp edge. This study demonstrates how
to do the following

Pylkknen ([3], [4]) presented results of CFD

calculations obtained from a RANS code. A twodimensional model of a water jet inlet is used for these
analyses. Differences between calculations and
measurements of pressure are about 11 to 15%. The
experimental data is based on measurements of a threedimensional inlet on a wind tunnel. It is known that an
actual three-dimensional water jet inlet ingests water
from a region that is wider than the inlet itself. In a twodimensional situation this phenomenon cannot be
reproduced, and therefore the pressure distribution at the
lip section will be different. In the second part of the
inlet, the rectangular cross-section transitions to a
circular cross-section in general. This transition is not
taken into account in a two-dimensional analysis either.
Therefore it is expected that the pressure distribution in
this part of the inlet will show a deviation from the
three-dimensional case as well.

To simulate Cavitating flows, the two phases, liquid and

vapour, need to be represented in the problem, as well as
the phase transition mechanism between the two. Here,
we consider at one fluid, single-fluid (mixture),
introduced through the local vapour volume fraction and
having the spatial and temporal variation of the vapour
fraction described by a transport equation including
source terms for the mass transfer rate between the
phases. The numerical model solves the Reynolds
averaged Navier-Stockes equations, coupled with a
localized vapour transport model for predicting
cavitation.

4. OBJECTIVES
1. A numerical investigation of Cavitating flows using
the mixture model has to be implemented in the CFX
commercial code.

Set boundary conditions for internal flow.

Use the mixture model with cavitation effects.
Calculate a solution using the pressure-based coupled
solver.

5. PROBLEM FORMULATION

6. PROPOSED RESULTS
6.1 Temperature distribution, Pressure distribution
6.2 Velocity profiles, Temperature distribution at
different position Temperature profiles on specified isosurfaces. With this study we can detect the location of
cavity formation and reduce this formation by optimum
geometry.

REFERENCES

2. The inter-phase mass flow rate has to be modeled with

a simplified Rayleigh equation applied to bubbles
uniformly distributed in computing cells.

[1] F. Bakir and R. Rey. Numerical and Experimental

Investigations of the Cavitating Behavior of an
Induce(2000).

3. The cavitation model has to be validated for the flow

around a blunt fore-body

[2] J. Karassik, J. P. Messina, P. Cooper, Ch. C. Heald,

Pump Handbook, Third Edition, McGraw Hill, (2001).

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Volume 4, Issue 9, September 2015

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