Details of Research Outputs

In this work, the flow field characteristics of a cylindrical cavitation nozzle jet under different turbulence models were systematically investigated. A deep understanding of the cavitation cloud evolution was provided, which is crucial for applications in marine engineering and various industrial processes. Utilizing the Shear Stress Transport (SST) k-ω and the Scale-Adaptive Simulation-Based Eddy Simulation (SBES) model, as well as performing Large Eddy Simulation (LES), cavitation water jets were simulated and their accuracy and computational efficiency were evaluated. From our analysis, it was demonstrated that while the SST k-ω model can effectively capture large-scale vortex structures, it fails to accurately predict the cavitation clouds due to its time-averaging nature. Conversely, the LES and SBES models demonstrated superior capability in capturing small-scale vortices and transient cavitation cloud behaviours, aligning more closely with the experimental observations. These findings highlight the comparative advantages of LES in predicting the dynamic evolution of cavitation clouds, though SBES offers a balanced approach with better computational efficiency. Furthermore, it was revealed that pressure downstream often exceeds saturated vapour pressure, leading to vapour condensation during cloud collapse. Through the aluminum block erosion experiment and FDM analysis, it was found that the position of the most intense collapse in the cavitation cloud and its optimal target distance for cavitation treatment was about 50–55 mm. Our work provides valuable insights into the mechanisms of cavitation and offers guidance for the practical application of cavitation water jets in engineering applications.