Numerical investigation of the cavitating flow for constant water hammer number

Abstract

Abstract Several comparative studies in this work were carried out with the help of the method of characteristics. This numerical method is the most effective for solving a system of partial equations (hyperbolic type) describing a complex problem associated with the water hammer phenomenon. The numerical tests have been performed for the selected constant value of the introduced dimensionless water hammer number. The presented comparisons showed that the unsteady flows without column separation are analogous in various hydraulic systems when the value of this number has been preserved. Besides, cavitating flows with such a constant value of this number were also tested. These studies indicated the existence of another dimensionless number which was called a cavitation number. Maintaining the fixed values of both dimensionless numbers guaranteed similarity of flows in different examined systems in which cavitation occurred.