Computation of forces acting on bodies in plane and axisymmetric cavitation flow problems

Abstract

Plane and axisymmetric cavitation flow problems are considered using Riabouchinsky’s scheme. The incoming flow is assumed to be irrotational and steady, and the fluid is assumed to be inviscid and incompressible. The flow problems are solved by applying the boundary element method with quadrature formulas without saturation. The free boundary is determined using a gradient descent technique based on Riabouchinsky’s principle. The drag force acting on the cavitator is expressed in terms of the Riabouchinsky functional. As a result, for small cavitation numbers, the force is calculated with a fairly high accuracy. Dependences of the drag coefficient are investigated for variously shaped cavitators: a wedge, a cone, a circular arc, and a spherical segment.