A Numerical Tool for the Investigation of Cavitating Flows in Turbopump Inducers

A numerical tool for the simulation of cavitating flows is presented in this paper. The numerical model is based on the 2D Euler/Navier-Stokes equations with a barotropic state law, which are solved in body fitted coordinates using a robust spatial and temporal differencing scheme. The model has been validated comparing numerical and experimental results on ogival and hemispherical axisymmetric head forms at different cavitation numbers. Simulations of the flow around a NACAOO 15 airfoil have also been successfully performed. Then, 2D simulations of the blade-toblade flow at a fixed radial position of a 9° Helical Inducer have been carried out at various cavitation numbers. Water has been assumed as the working fluid. Cavitating regions of increasing size have been computed, until the cavitation bubble covers the entire blade profile; a good agreement is observed between the computed cavitation number and the values obtained both experimentally and through an empirical correlation for the case at which choked conditions are attained.