Cavitation in cryogenic fluids: A critical research review

Cavitation occurs as the fluid pressure is lower than the vapor pressure at a local thermodynamic state and may result in huge damage to the hydraulic machinery. Cavitation in cryogenic liquids is widely present in contemporary science, and the characteristics of cryogenic cavitation are quite different from those of water due to thermal effects and strong variations in fluid properties. The present paper reviews recent progress made toward performing experimental measurements and developing modeling strategies to thoroughly investigate cryogenic cavitation. The thermodynamic properties of cryogenic fluids are first analyzed, and different scaling laws for thermal effects estimation are then introduced. As far as cryogenic cavitation experimental research is concerned, the progress made in the cavitation visualization and cavity dynamics and the synchronous measurements of the multi-physical field are mainly introduced. As for the study on numerical simulation of cryogenic cavitation, the commonly used cavitation models and turbulence models are, respectively, classified and presented, and the modifications and improvements of the cavitation model and turbulence model for thermal effect modeling of cryogenic cavitation are examined. Then, several advances of critical issues in cryogenic fluid cavitation research are reviewed, including the influences of thermal effects, unsteady shedding mechanisms, cavitation–vortex interactions, and cavitation-induced vibration/noise. This review offers a clear vision of the state-of-the-art from both experimental and numerical modeling viewpoints, highlights the critical study developments and identifies the research gaps in the literature, and gives an outlook for further research on cryogenic cavitation.