Dynamic behaviour of cavitation clouds: visualization and statistical analysis

High-speed visualization and subsequent statistical analysis of a high-speed cavitating water jet were performed with a custom image acquisition and processing system. In a cavitating water jet, cavity clouds form and collapse with an unsteady, periodic tendency where the frequency depends on the flow conditions. The aim of the presented investigations was to examine and analyse the dynamic behaviour of these cavity clouds to understand the effect of the influencing experimental working conditions, such as injection pressure, nozzle geometry and shape (convergent or divergent) on the size, integrity and life cycle of the clouds. The results show oscillation patterns in the geometry of the clouds (thickness, length, area, etc.), through shedding, growing, shrinking, which are related to upstream pressure fluctuations caused by the plunger pump and the interaction between the jet and the surroundings. The corresponding characteristic oscillation frequencies of the cavitating jets were also determined through cloud shape analysis.