Numerical simulation of cavitation characteristics of a pump-turbine and comparison with model test results

The ability to model cavitating flows has evoked strong interest within the CFD community. It covers a wide range of applications, such as pumps, hydraulic turbines, inducers and fuel cavitation in orifices, as commonly encountered in fuel injection systems. Fluid machinery is a common application where low pressures are routinely generated, such as on blade surfaces, with a consequent possibility of cavitation. The effects of cavitation are particularly critical in the pump mode of pump-turbine operating. Many of the CFD models developed for cavitation involve the use of a bubble model, cavity interface tracing model and two-phase fluid model. In this paper the two-phase flow model is applied.