Cavitation is a common problem in several devices in which the main working fluid is in the liquid state. Some examples are turbopumps for rocket propulsion systems, industrial turbomachinery, hydrofoils, marine propellers, fuel injectors, hydrostatic bearings, shock absorbers, and biomedical devices such as mechanical heart values. The Cavitation Module in CFD-ACE+ allows multi-dimensional simulations of cavitating flows with phase changes in low pressure regions. The model accounts for all important effects such as:

• Phase change
• Bubble dynamics
• Turbulence
• Presence of non-condensable gases

It utilizes modified Rayleigh-Plesset equations of bubble dynamics to obtain the phase change rates for vapor generation and condensation in the cavitating regions.

The CFD-ACE+ cavitation module has been validated and successfully used for many applications. Sample application and validation results for a vane oil pump are shown on the right.