Effects of the micro vortex generator on the cavitation inception characteristics

DOI:	10.11809/bqzbgcxb2023.12.009
Keywords:	micro vortex generator; hydrofoil; inception cavitation; flow control; numerical simulation
Abstract:	In order to reduce the adverse effects of cavitation on the performance of underwater equipment, research on cavitation suppression methods is conducted. The homogeneous flow model coupled with SST γ Re θt turbulence model and Zwart cavitation model is used to simulate the inception cavitation flow of a hydrofoil with a micro vortex generator (MVG) at different attack angles (4°, 6°and 8°). The results show that MVG can significantly increase the near wall velocity of the hydrofoil and increase the boundary layer thickness. The influence of MVG on the boundary layer separation characteristics of hydrofoil is related to the attack angle of hydrofoil. The separation vortex scale decreases when the MVG is located before the separation point (4°) and increases when it is located after the separation point (6° and 8°). Under the conditions of three attack angles, MVG can significantly reduce the incipient cavitation number of the hydrofoil. In contrast, the decrease of the incipient cavitation number is the largest at 8° angle of attack, indicating that the suppression effect of MVG on cavitation is influenced by the attack angle. The research results can provide some theoretical reference for the design of anti cavitation performance in engineering practice.
Issue:	Vol. 44 No. 12 (2023)
Published:	2023-12-28
PDF HTML