Study of the effects of active suction characteristics on the cavitation properties of hydrofoil surfaces

Cavitation involves various physical phenomena such as heat transfer and mass transfer, which can have negative impacts on fluid machinery. To improve the flow field characteristics around the hydrofoil and optimize the application of suction in cavitation control, a computational model of the suction hydrofoil was established and numerical simulation studies were conducted, with analyses performed on the cavitation pattern, flow field characteristics, lift and drag properties, and the evolution of vortex structures. The optimal chordwise position for the suction structure was determined, and the mechanism by which the suction hydrofoil affects cavitation was revealed. The results show that placing the suction structure at the leading edge of the hydrofoil can effectively suppress cavitation development. The position at 0.3 times the chord length of the hydrofoil exhibits the best cavitation suppression effect, with the time-averaged cavitation volume fraction decreasing by 18.67%. Placing the suction structure at the mid-chord of the hydrofoil reduces the time-averaged drag, and the position at 0.5 times the chord length exhibits the best hydrodynamic performance, with the time-averaged lift-to-drag ratio improving by 63.38% compared to the original hydrofoil. The vortex structure on the hydrofoil surface undergoes three stages of evolution, and suction induces the formation of small-scale vortices, which enhances the stability of the flow field and thereby suppresses cavitation.