Numerical Investigation of Cavitating Base MHKF-180s and Modified MHKF-180s Hydrofoils

In this study, the hydrodynamic performance of 2D MHKF-180s hydrofoil (without dimple) and modified MHKF-180s hydrofoil (with dimple) is computationally analyzed. The investigation is conducted at a fixed angle of attack ( \(\alpha \) ) of 2° using the Realizable \(k{-}\epsilon\) turbulence model and the Zwart-Gerber-Belamri (ZGB) cavitation model. The main objective is to investigate the effect of a dimple placed at 40% of the chord length for supercavitating condition and non-cavitating condition. The simulations are performed at a constant Reynolds number, Re = 1.3 × 106 using Ansys Fluent. The hydrodynamic performance is evaluated based on various parameters, including lift coefficient (Cl), drag coefficient (Cd), lift-to-drag ratio (l/d), pressure coefficient (Cp), vapor volume fraction, pressure variation, and turbulent kinetic energy. It was concluded that the dimple has no influence on supercavitating behavior. However, in the non-cavitating scenario, the sharp edge of the dimple leads to the formation of a small vapor cavity, resulting in a decrease in the lift coefficient and an increase in the drag coefficient.