Modeling Hydrodynamic Nonequilibrium in Cavitating Flows

A nonlinear numerical model has been developed to assess nonequilibrium effects in cavitating flows. The numerical implementation involves a two-phase treatment with the use of a pseudo-density which varies between the liquid and gas/vapor extremes. A new constitutive equation for the pseudo-density is derived based on the bubble response described by a modified form of the Rayleigh-Plesset equation. Use of this constitutive equation in a numerical procedure permits the assessment of nonequilibrium effects. This scheme provides a quantitative description of scaling effects in cavitated flows. With minimal modifications, the model can also be used for bubbly two-phase flows.