5. Numerical simulation of cavitation

Numerical simulation of flows in rotodynamic pumps is commonly used for non-cavitating regimes. In the presence of cavitation, few numerical attempts have been made. Recently, more or less sophisticated cavitation models have been introduced in some CFD codes.

The majority of cavitation models are based on similar assumptions. Most of them are either two-dimensional or three-dimensional stationary. Recently, some of these models have been introduced into calculation codes based on the three-dimensional, unsteady Navier-Stokes equations, enabling these codes to be extended to cavitating calculations in turbomachinery.

Authors who have combined cavitation models with CFD tools include :

• for 3D analysis of cavitating flows: Frobenius et al.