Three-Dimensional Unsteady Simulation of Cavitating Flows in Injector Passages

Fully 3-D, unsteady, viscous simulations are performed on a plain-orifice pressure atomizer being fed by a manifold with a crossflow. This geometry replicates features present in both liquid rocket and diesel engine injectors. Both noncavitating and cavitating conditions are considered to determine the role of cavitation on the orifice discharge characteristics. The presence of cavitation is shown to affect both the mean and unsteady components of the orifice discharge coefficient. The presence of a significant cavitation zone can inhibit vorticity transport causing nearly all the fluid to be ejected through a crescent-shaped sector of the orifice exit plane. [S0098-2202(00)01604-7]