Investigation of cavitation noise using Eulerian-Lagrangian multiscale modeling

Linmin Li; Yabiao Niu; Guolai Wei; Sivakumar Manickam; Xun Sun; Zuchao Zhu

doi:10.1016/j.ultsonch.2023.106446

Investigation of cavitation noise using Eulerian-Lagrangian multiscale modeling

Ultrason Sonochem. 2023 Jul:97:106446. doi: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2023.106446. Epub 2023 May 19.

Authors

Linmin Li¹, Yabiao Niu¹, Guolai Wei¹, Sivakumar Manickam², Xun Sun³, Zuchao Zhu⁴

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Fluid Transmission Technology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China.
² Petroleum and Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Brunei, Jalan Tungku Link Gadong, Bandar Seri Begawan BE1410, Brunei Darussalam.
³ Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture of Ministry of Education, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China. Electronic address: xunsun@sdu.edu.cn.
⁴ Key Laboratory of Fluid Transmission Technology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China. Electronic address: zhuzuchao@zstu.edu.cn.

Abstract

We have employed the large eddy simulation (LES) approach to investigate the cavitation noise characteristics of an unsteady cavitating flow around a NACA66 (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics) hydrofoil by employing an Eulerian-Lagrangian based multiscale cavitation model. A volume of fluid (VOF) method simulates the large cavity, whereas a Lagrangian discrete bubble model (DBM) tracks the small bubbles. Meanwhile, noise is determined using the Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings equation (FW-H). Eulerian-Lagrangian analysis has shown that, in comparison to VOF, it is more effective in revealing microscopic characteristics of unsteady cavitating flows, including microscale bubbles, that are unresolvable around the cloud cavity, and their impact on the flow field. It is also evident that its evolution of cavitation features on the hydrofoil is more consistent with the experimental observations. The frequency of the maximum sound pressure level corresponds to the frequency of the main cavity shedding for the noise characteristics. Using the Eulerian-Lagrangian method to predict the noise signal, results show that the cavitation noise, generated by discrete bubbles due to their collapse, is mainly composed of high-frequency signals. In addition, the frequency of cavitation noise induced by discrete microbubbles is around 10 kHz. A typical characteristic of cavitation noise, including two intense pulses during the collapsing of the cloud cavity, is described, as well as the mechanisms that underlie these phenomena. The findings of this work provide for a fundamental understanding of cavitation and serve as a valuable reference for the design and intensification of hydrodynamic cavitation reactors.

Keywords: Cavitation; Eulerian-Lagrangian; Large eddy simulation; Multiscale modeling; Noise characteristics.