Experimental study on the coupled flow field and thrust characteristics of tail cavity and jet

Abstract

During the launch process of underwater vehicles, a tail cavity is formed at the bottom, which plays a crucial role in the engine ignition stage. The flow state within this tail cavity significantly impacts the engine's operational efficiency. Moreover, the evolution of the tail cavity and jet coupling, along with hydrodynamic characteristics, influences the motion attitude of the vehicle. This article delves into the effects of initial tail cavity length, Froude number, and pressure ratio on cavity morphology and hydrodynamic characteristics, utilizing water tunnel experiments to explore these dynamics at the vehicle's bottom. The experimental findings suggest that while the length of the initial tail cavity influences the jet's coupling mode, it does not significantly affect the cavity's ultimate morphological evolution. A larger initial cavity scale correlates with a lower initial pressure peak following nozzle activation; similarly, an increase in the Froude number leads to a decrease in the initial pressure peak. When the cavity morphology remains intact, the pressure pulsation amplitude and frequency are relatively low. In contrast, partially broken cavities and pulsating foam cavities differ in morphological structure and peak internal pressure oscillations, though their pressure pulsation frequencies are similar. During the initial phase of nozzle activation, the thrust produced by the nozzle plays a more significant role than the bottom thrust. Notably, in the initial phase of nozzle activation, the nozzle-generated thrust is more influential than the bottom thrust. The thrust pulsations from pulsating foam cavities are especially strong, with peak values surpassing the initial peak thrust. These insights offer a new insight on the dynamic behavior of underwater vehicles, crucial for refining engine startup strategies.