Numerical analysis of flow instability with vortex cavitation in venturi tube

Abstract

Abstract The swirling flow with cavitation can cause pressure pulsations in a draft tube of a hydro turbine at off-design operating conditions. Especially at the full load condition, the cavitation volume may fluctuate greatly, causing pressure pulsations with flow rate fluctuations known as cavitation surge throughout the hydraulic system. The cases that predicted the phenomenon qualitatively using the CFD analysis have been reported previously, whereas the methods to predict the cavitation volume and the fluctuation frequency in the cavitation surge condition quantitatively have not yet been established. Therefore, in this study, unsteady CFD analysis was conducted for the experimental apparatus that simulates the flow in the draft tube downstream of a runner using the stationary guide vane and the venturi tube. In CFD analysis, the influence of the turbulence models by using LES and SST and the influence of the number of meshes in LES simulation were investigated. It was founded that LES simulation captured the vortex generation finely and improved the prediction accuracy of the cavitation volume than SST simulation. On the other hand, it was founded that too fine mesh has a small effect on the prediction accuracy of the cavitation volume, although the resolution of the vortex is improved.