Numerical Investigation of High-Reynolds-Number Air-Ventilated Water Flow under Solid Body with Surface Geometry Variations

Air-ventilated cavities formed under or around the hulls of marine vehicles can reduce water drag. Hull configurations with partial air ventilation where air cavities reattach to body surfaces are of special practical interest, since the required air supply rates to achieve significant drag reduction can be made rather low. However, formation and stability of such air cavities are sensitive to the hull geometry and operational conditions. In this study, an attempt is made to numerically simulate one setup with a partial air cavity that was previously tested experimentally at high Reynolds numbers, above 50 million. A computational fluid dynamics software Star-CCM+ has been employed for numerical modeling. Stable and unstable states of the air-cavity setup, characterized by long and collapsing air cavities, respectively, were modeled at two air supply rates near the stability boundary. Numerical results were similar to experimental data at the optimal water speed for the tested geometry, when a long air cavity was sustained at a minimal air supply rate. For water speeds that were substantially higher or lower than the optimal case, a stable cavity could not be maintained with small air supply rates for the given hull geometry. Numerical simulations demonstrated how alterations of the body surface could help sustain long air cavities across a broader speed range using air supply rates that were similar to the optimal case. These findings suggest that morphing hull surfaces can potentially be used for control of drag-reducing air cavities and expand the viable operating range for their application to marine vehicles.

Automated summary

This study numerically simulates a setup with a partial air cavity under high Reynolds numbers, finding that sustaining a long air cavity requires air supply rates similar to the optimal case for the given geometry. Alterations of the hull surface can help maintain air cavities across a broader speed range.