An improved detached eddy simulation method for cavitation multiphase flow

The evolution of cavitation flow involves intense transient characteristics and complex multi-scale motions, significantly increasing the difficulty and computational cost of solving in separation zones. This study proposes an Improved Detached Eddy Simulation (IDES) method, based on a single-equation eddy-viscosity model, aimed at enhancing the resolution of small-scale cavitation flows. By incorporating the broad-spectrum von Karman scale concept, the method effectively improves the resolution capability for small-scale flows in separated zones. The performance of the IDES model was validated through three computational cases, and the main conclusions are as follows: The results of the triangular cylinder flows show that the IDES model demonstrates a resolution capability for large-scale turbulence comparable to the Large Eddy Simulation (LES) model. The orifice flow results indicate that activating the LES method with insufficient grid resolution is highly discouraged, whereas the IDES model performs more robustly under such conditions. For hydrofoil flows, the IDES model more accurately captures the temporal evolution of cavitation, avoiding the premature cavity shedding predicted by LES under coarse grid conditions. The decomposition results of the vorticity transport equation show that both the dilatation term and viscous term are significant contributors in the vorticity transport process, with their average contributions to vorticity reaching 49.25% and 39.99%, respectively. Vortices can be considered the primary controllers of cavitation dynamics, while the dilatation term and viscous term can be regarded as the main controllers of vorticity. Overall, the energy compensation mechanism of the IDES model, based on local flow information, gives it unique advantages in handling small-scale turbulence and cavitation phenomena, providing both high computational efficiency and accuracy.