Cavitation and Rotordynamic Activities at Centrospazio

Centrospazio has long been carrying out an articulated program of experimental, theoretical and numerical research on cavitation and two-phase flow dynamics in connection with liquid propellant rocket fuel feed systems. The areas of involvement dealt with in recent years range from the modeling and simulation of cavitation to the study of rotordynamic fluid forces in whirling and cavitating axial inducers and journal bearings. Specifically, this paper illustrates the development of a new cavitation model accounting in an approximate but physical way for the occurrence of thermal cavitation and liquid quality effects, and the realization of the CPRTF (Cavitating Pump Rotordynamic Test Facility), a water loop for the measurement of rotordynamic fluid forces on whirling and cavitating turbopump impellers, and the TCT (Thermal Cavitation Tunnel), a modified version of the CPRTF for cavitation experiments in fluid dynamic and thermal cavitation similarity. Representative results of the application of cavitation model to journal bearings, hydrofoils and helical inducers and the typical performance of the CPRTF and TCT are presented.