Cavitation is a common problem in systems where fluids move. It can reduce performance and lifespan, and it has important effects on the environment and operations. This study explores water injection as an environmentally integrative solution to control cavitation on a NACA66 foil, aiming to enhance performance while minimizing structural and ecological risks. Specifically, water injection reduces ecological risks by minimizing cavitation-induced erosion of aquatic structures and decreasing noise pollution generated by bubble collapse. Using numerical simulations, the effects of water injection were analyzed under two cavitation conditions (σ = 1.44 and σ = 0.99) at injection points located at X/C = 0.19 and X/C = 0.45 (where X is the distance from the leading edge and C is the chord length). The results demonstrate that water injection significantly reduces the size of the cavitation sheet, particularly at X/C = 0.45, which proved more effective across varying injection velocities. While higher injection velocities enhanced cavitation suppression, they also caused a compromise in hydrodynamic efficiency; beyond 4 m/s, the lift-to-drag ratio (<InlineEquation ID="IEq1"> <InlineMediaObject> <ImageObject Color="BlackWhite" FileRef="41207_2025_791_Article_IEq1.gif" Format="GIF" Height="19" Rendition="HTML" Resolution="72" Type="Linedraw" Width="55" /> </InlineMediaObject> <EquationSource Format="TEX">${C}_{L}/{C}_{D}$</EquationSource> <EquationSource Format="MATHML"><math> <mrow> <msub> <mi>C</mi> <mi>L</mi> </msub> <mo stretchy="false">/</mo> <msub> <mi>C</mi> <mi>D</mi> </msub> </mrow> </math></EquationSource> </InlineEquation>) dropped below the baseline, indicating reduced performance. These findings highlight the need for careful optimization of injection parameters to achieve an environmentally sustainable balance between cavitation mitigation and hydrodynamic performance. This study underscores the potential of water injection as a sustainable approach to mitigating cavitation in submerged structures, offering insights that contribute to environmentally conscious designs in hydrodynamic applications.

CFD study of cavitation mitigation strategies using water injection on a NACA66 foil

期刊论文
发表日期：

2025年4月15日

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Sobhi Frikha,
Mounir Baccar

摘要

Cavitation is a common problem in systems where fluids move. It can reduce performance and lifespan, and it has important effects on the environment and operations. This study explores water injection as an environmentally integrative solution to control cavitation on a NACA66 foil, aiming to enhance performance while minimizing structural and ecological risks. Specifically, water injection reduces ecological risks by minimizing cavitation-induced erosion of aquatic structures and decreasing noise pollution generated by bubble collapse. Using numerical simulations, the effects of water injection were analyzed under two cavitation conditions (σ = 1.44 and σ = 0.99) at injection points located at X/C = 0.19 and X/C = 0.45 (where X is the distance from the leading edge and C is the chord length). The results demonstrate that water injection significantly reduces the size of the cavitation sheet, particularly at X/C = 0.45, which proved more effective across varying injection velocities. While higher injection velocities enhanced cavitation suppression, they also caused a compromise in hydrodynamic efficiency; beyond 4 m/s, the lift-to-drag ratio ( ${C}_{L}/{C}_{D}$ $C_{L} / C_{D}$ ) dropped below the baseline, indicating reduced performance. These findings highlight the need for careful optimization of injection parameters to achieve an environmentally sustainable balance between cavitation mitigation and hydrodynamic performance. This study underscores the potential of water injection as a sustainable approach to mitigating cavitation in submerged structures, offering insights that contribute to environmentally conscious designs in hydrodynamic applications.