Head drop of a spatial turbopump inducer

A computational fluid dynamics model for cavitation simulation was investigated and compared with experimental results in the case of a three-blade industrial inducer. The model is based on a homogeneous approach of the multiphase flow coupled with a barotropic state law for the cool water vapor/liquid mixture. The numerical results showed a good prediction of the head drop for three flow rates. The hydrodynamic mechanism of the head drop was investigated through a global and local study of the flow fields. The evolution of power, efficiency, and the blade loading during the head drop were analyzed and correlated with the visualizations of the vapor/liquid structures. The local flow analysis was made mainly by studying the relative helicity and the axial velocity fields. A first analysis of numerical results showed the high influence of the cavitation on the backflow structure.