Experimental investigation of the passive control of unsteady cloud cavitation using miniature vortex generators (MVGs)

The research is aimed at the study of a passive control method to control unsteady cloud cavitation that is characterized by regular shedding of large vapour structures from the solid surface of a cavitating immersible body. The unsteady cloud cavitation is an important subject of research because of its destructive impacts in various industrial applications, including ship propellers and rudders, pumping and hydraulic machinery systems. For this, we placed miniature vortex generators (MVGs) of a cylindrical type on the surface of a benchmark CAV2003 hydrofoil and investigated effects of these MVGs on the spatial structure of unsteady cavitation clouds. We analyzed the temporal and spatial cavity characteristics in comparison with those for the original hydrofoil (without MVGs) by means of high-speed imaging. In addition, we used a hydrophone to register the signal of pressure pulsations in time and thereby derive power spectra of the pressure pulsations. The results showed that the implemented cavitation control method is an effective tool to manage the unsteady behaviour of cloud cavitation and to mitigate the amplitude of pressure pulsations. It was revealed that, with this control approach, the large-scale cavitation clouds appear to be broken and only small-scale cavity structures are shed away from the hydrofoil surface. Moreover, a notable reduction in the cavitation-induced vibrations of the solid surface may be expected.