Computational Investigations of Air Entrainment, Hysteresis, and Loading for Large-Scale, Buoyant Cavities

A complete physical model of ventilated supercavitation is not well established. Efforts documented display the ability, with a finite volume, locally homogeneous approach, to simulate supercavitating flows and obtain good agreement with experiments. Several modeling requirements appear critical, especially in physical hysteretic conditions or configurations. The hysteresis presented is due to obstruction of the flow with a solid object. The modeling approach taken correctly captures a full hysteresis loop and the corresponding dimensionless ventilation rate to cavity pressure (C_Qdelta) relationship. This correspondence supports the suggestion that the main mechanism of cavity gas entrainment is via shear layers attached to the cavity walls. With such validated solutions, additional insight into the flow within the cavity is gained.