Effects of Cavitation on Karman Vortex Behind Circular-Cylinder Arrays

TL;DR

This study investigates how cavitation influences vortex shedding and wake dynamics behind circular-cylinder arrays using molecular dynamics simulations, revealing significant effects on vibration, vortex formation, and wake synchronization.

Contribution

It introduces a molecular dynamics simulation approach to analyze cavitation effects on vortex shedding and wake behavior in cylinder arrays, highlighting new flow phenomena.

Findings

Cavitation reduces vibration and can eliminate vortex shedding.

Longer vapor regions form with increased cavitation.

Cavitation weakens vortex synchronization, inducing asymmetric wakes.

Abstract

The effects of cavitation on the flow around a circular-cylinder array are studied by using a molecular dynamics simulation. Cavitation significantly affects on vortex shedding characteristics. As the cavitation develops,the vibration acting on the cylinders decreases and eventually disappears. The further cavitation development generates a longer vapor region next to the cylinders, and the vortex streets are formed at further positions from the cylinders. The neighboring Karman vortexes are synchronized in the antiphase in the absence of the cavitation. This synchronization is weakened by the cavitation, and an asymmetric wake mode can be induced. These findings help mechanical designs of fluid machinery that include cylinder arrays.