Cavitating Flow Simulation in a Closed Pump Sump by Two-Fluid Model and Its PIV Verification

In this paper, the two-fluid model was adopted to analyze the cavitating flow. Based on Boltzmann equation, governing equations for two-phase cavitating flow were obtained by using the microscopic kinetic theory, in which the equation terms for mass and momentum transportations can be obtained directly. Then the RNG k–ε–k_g turbulence model, that is RNG k–ε model for the liquid phase and k_g model for the cavity phase, was used to close the Reynolds time-averaged equations. According to the governing equations above, the simulation of the two-phase cavitating flow through a closed pump sump has been carried out. The calculated results have been compared with a PIV experiment. Good agreement exhibited.