Time-dependent simulation of cavitating flow with k-l turbulence models

A compressible, multiphase, one-fluid Reynolds-averaged NavierStokes solver has been developed to study turbulent cavitating flows. The interplay between turbulence and cavitation regarding the unsteadiness and structure of the flow is complex and not well understood. This constitutes a critical point to accurately simulate the dynamic behavior of sheet cavities. In the present study, different formulations based on a k-l transport-equation model are investigated and a scale-adaptive formulation is proposed. Numerical results are given for a Venturi geometry and comparisons are made with experimental data. The scale-adaptive model shows several improvements compared with standard turbulence models. Copyright (C) 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.