Research on the encounter motion of super-cavitating vehicles

Abstract

In this paper, the super-cavitating phenomenon under the effect of two vehicles’ encounter motion processes is numerically studied. Particular attention is given to the influence of the vertical gaps between the vehicle, the cavitation number, and the slenderness ratio on the cavity profile and radial force of the object. Several numerical models are built to study the cavity evolution process and the force acting on the vehicle to explore the influence mechanism of two vehicles’ encounter motion on supercavitating flow. The study shows that the cavity around the vehicle is primarily affected by the vertical gaps and cavitation number, but is relatively weakly affected by the slenderness ratio. Several impact laws are acquired in the paper. The relationship between cavity fracture time and vertical gaps is approximately a power function and obeys the law of t = 5.433h0.3688. The concept of the time of the maximum radial force occurrence and the cavitation number follows the formula of t = 4.86e0.3688σ. The relationship between the maximum radial force occurrence position and the cavitation number is a function of Ln and consistent with the law n = −0.799ln(σ) + 8.427.