2020/01/13 by Coutier-Delghosa, Olivier, Perrin, Jérôme, Patella, Régiane Fortes +1
#FOS: Physical sciences #Fluid Dynamics (physics.flu-dyn)
paper · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2001.10345
The cavitation behaviour of a four-blade rocket engine turbopump inducer is simulated. A 2D numerical model of unsteady cavitation was applied to a blade cascade drawn fromthe inducer geometry. The physical model is based on a homogeneous approach of cavitation, coupled with a barotropic state law for the liquid/vapour mixture. The numericalresolution uses a pressure-correction method derived from the SIMPLE algorithm and a finite volume discretization. Unsteadybehaviour of sheet cavities attached to the blade suction side depends on the flow rate and cavitation number. Two differentunstable configurations of rotating cavitation, respectively sub-synchronous and super-synchronous, are identified. The mechanisms that are responsible for these unstable behaviours are discussed, and the stress fluctuations induced on the blade by the rotating cavitation are estimated.