Numerical investigation of three-dimensional partial cavitation in a Venturi geometry

Sheet cavitation appears in many hydraulic applications and can lead to technical issues. Some fundamental outcomes, such as, the complex topology of 3-dimensional cavitation pockets and their associated dynamics need to be carefully visited. In the paper, the dynamics of partial cavitation developing in a 3D Venturi geometry and the interaction with sidewalls are numerically investigated. The simulations are performed using a one-fluid compressible Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes solver associated with a nonlinear turbulence model and a void ratio transport equation model. A detailed analysis of this cavitating flow is carried out using innovative tools, such as, spectral proper orthogonal decompositions. Particular attention is paid in the study of 3D effects by comparing the numerical results obtained with sidewalls and periodic conditions. A three-dimensional dynamics of the sheet cavitation, unrelated to the presence of sidewalls, is identified and discussed.