Hydrodynamic analysis of hydrofoil cavitation based on adaptive mesh theory

Cavitation is a transient multiphase flow phenomenon involving complex turbulence, liquid–gas phase transitions, and pressure fluctuations, which can cause cavitation erosion, vibration, and noise in hydraulic machinery. This study employs a volume of fluid–adaptive mesh refinement (VOF-AMR) coupled model to conduct large eddy simulation (LES) of cavitating flow around a National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics 66-series(NACA66) hydrofoil, focusing on cavity shape transitions and the dynamics of discrete cavities and reentrant jets. Results show that the LES-VOF-AMR model improves simulation accuracy, with cavity shedding frequency prediction error within 0.3%. The transition from two-dimensional sheet-like to three-dimensional cloud-like cavities is characterized by an increase in vapor volume growth rate. During cavity shedding and collapse, the reentrant jet dominates the near-wall suction side, shifting high-frequency pressure fluctuations to lower frequencies, indicating a coupling effect between hydrofoil vibrations and cavity pulsations. The vortex exclusion effect, caused by the reentrant jet, is the primary driver for rapid cavity shedding and collapse. Cavitation–vortex coupling analysis highlights the impact of wall shear flow and wake vortex shedding on vortex dilatation terms, while vortex stretching and baroclinic torque influence cavity shape and vorticity intensity. These findings advance the understanding of cavitation–vortex dynamics and provide theoretical support for multiphase flow prediction and cavitation control in hydraulic machinery.