The Surface Singularity Method Applied to Partially Cavitating Hydrofoils

Abstract

The surface singularity or boundary integral method is formulated numerically for the problem of the fully nonlinear potential flow past a partially cavitating hydrofoil. An iterative scheme is employed to locate the cavity surface. Upon convergence the exact boundary conditions are satisfied on all portions of the foil cavity boundary. The effects of hydrofoil section thickness and camber on cavity volume are investigated. The results are compared with those generated by a numerical linear theory, which includes the effect of section thickness, and with Tulin and Hsu's "short cavity" theory. Both section thickness and camber are shown to have significant effects on cavity volume.