Cavitation in viscoelastic dilute polymer solutions through a Venturi nozzle

This research experimentally examines the influence of viscoelastic dilute water solutions of polyethylene oxide on Venturi cavitation. Variations in solutions are engineered to manipulate the viscoelastic properties that in turn affect cavitation patterns and attributes. The consequences of viscoelasticity and flow conditions on cavitation are quantified using dimensionless numbers, including the elasticity number (El), the Reynolds number (Re), and the pressure ratio (κ). The experiment identifies three distinct cavitation patterns in the solutions, with their transitions being impacted by alterations in El and κ. As El amplifies, the cavitation bubbles expand and get smoother, and the reentrant jet thickens and amplifies. The behavior of cavitation aligns with the model proposed by Zhang et al. [Phys. Fluids 31, 097107 (2019)], suggesting the critical role of the reentrant jet in the shedding of the cavity cluster. The study also substantiates that the reentrant jet intensifies with ascending El or Re. The collective influence of El, Re, and κ is discovered to shape the cavitation length and shedding frequency of cavity clusters. An increased El or a decreased Re reinforces the vorticity and the reentrant jet, which inevitably leads to a reduction in cavitation lengths and an uptick in the shedding frequency. Conversely, a larger El results in a more gradual response of the bubble to pressure alterations and pronounced rebounds, extending the cavitation length.