Numerical prediction of cavitation erosion risk in an axisymmetric nozzle using a multi-scale approach

In the present study, a two-way coupling Eulerian–Lagrangian approach is developed to assess the cavitation erosion risk in an axisymmetric nozzle. Macroscopic cavitation structures are simulated using the large eddy simulation along with the volume of fluid method. The compressible Rayleigh–Plesset equation and the bubble motion equation are introduced to resolve the microscopic bubble dynamics. The calculated results agree favorably with the experimental data and can capture more flow details, which is associated with the potential erosion risk. Based on the bubble information in multi-scale cavitating flow, a new asymmetric bubble collapse model is proposed to calculate the impact pressure, which is then used to quantitatively assess the cavitation erosion risk in the nozzle. The results show that, compared with the traditional Euler method, the location and value of the potential maximum cavitation erosion risk predicted by this new method are closer to the experimental measurement. The advantages of the newly proposed method are further elaborated systematically. The study found that the high environmental pressure triggered by the collapse of shedding clouds can cause the near-wall bubbles to shrink and even collapse, releasing impulsive pressure, which directly damages the material surface. This phenomenon is considered to be closer to the actual cavitation erosion process. Finally, analyzing the relationship between multi-scale cavitation structures and erosion risk reveals that the high risk of cavitation erosion is mainly due to the oscillation and collapse of near-wall bubbles which are generated near the attached cavity closure line or surrounding the shedding clouds.