Optimization of Geometry of Cavitational Tunnel Using CFD Method

The liquid flow through a various kind of installation or devices is still not fully clarified issue. The liquid flow is assisted by a stream swirling, local pressure drops or changes of flow rates or temperature. CFD methods have been already implemented for few years to analyze phenomena related to the liquid flow. In this work Autodesk CFD Design Study Environment 2018 was used to simulate a new geometry of cavitational tunnel—a laboratory stand for examinations of cavitational resistance of structural materials. Three different geometries of the tunnel were analyzed in this work: with a cavitation initiator made of barricade and counter-barricade systems, with a cavitation initiator having a cylindrical pocket in counter-barricade and with a cavitation initiator having a double wedge shape. The introduced change of geometry allows multiplying the area of local pressure drop (i.e. the area of cavitation phenomenon). Obtained results of will serve in future (after building the new laboratory stand) to verify CFD simulations in a real testing conditions. The new tunnel geometry developed in CFD simulations should shorten evaluation time, what in turn, will give direct economic benefits (i.e. lower exploitation rate of the laboratory stand as well as lower costs of electrical energy).