Laser Doppler Anemometry of Cavitating Hydrofoil in a Slit

Laser Doppler anemometry (LDA) is one of the main non-contact methods for measuring the velocity characteristics of flows and pressure pulsations. Determining the quantitative patterns of the flow of multiphase liquids in small-sized channels is known to be a difficult task. The authors demonstrate the eventual use of LDA to study cavitation flows in slits with a height of 1.2 mm. The cavitation flow is created by means of the NACA0012 hydrofoil. The experimental equipment is positioned using a micro-displacement device. The distortion of the luminous flux through the channel walls is taken into account. This paper presents an algorithm for searching the central region of the slit. A method for filtering noise effects is described. The results of measuring the average flow velocity near the cavitating hydrofoil in the slit are provided in the article.