Effects of cavitation on Karman vortex behind circular-cylinder arrays: A molecular dynamics study

The effects of cavitation on the flow around a circular-cylinder array are studied by using a molecular dynamics simulation. Cavitation significantly affects vortex shedding characteristics. As the cavitation develops, the vibration acting on the cylinders decreases and eventually disappears. The further cavitation development generates a longer vapor region next to the cylinders, and the vortex streets are formed at further positions from the cylinders. The neighboring Karman vortexes are synchronized in the antiphase in the absence of the cavitation. This synchronization is weakened by the cavitation, and an asymmetric wake mode can be induced. These findings help mechanical designs of fluid machinery that include cylinder arrays.