Numerical simulation of multiphase cavitating flows around an underwater projectile

The present simulation investigates the multiphase cavitating flow around an underwater projectile. Based on the Homogeneous Equilibrium Flow assumption, a mixture model is applied to simulate the multiphase cavitating flow including ventilated cavitation caused by air injection as well as natural cavitation that forms in a region where the pressure of liquid falls below its vapor pressure. The transport equation cavitating model is applied. The calculations are executed based on a suite of CFD code. The hydrodynamics characteristics of flow field under the interaction of natural cavitation and ventilated cavitation is analyzed. The results indicate that the ventilated cavitation number is under a combined effect of the natural cavitation number and gas flow rate in the multiphase cavitating flows. (C) 2011 The Chinese Society of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics.