Inception of Cavitation From a Backward Facing Step

Abstract

Cavitation inception measurements are reported for flow past a downstream facing step with the height of the step varying from about 0.4 to 5 percent of the forebody diameter. The forebody was a 49 mm hemispherical nose and σi values were found to be very strong function of the height of the step. In addition, σi values were found to depend on whether the boundary layer approaching the step was laminar or turbulent. Generally σi values for turbulent case were lower.