Unsteady Gaseous Diffusion Associated with a Fully Cavitating Oscillating Flat-Plate Hydrofoil

Abstract

Although the emphasis of this paper is on gaseous diffusion into a full cavity behind an oscillating flat-plate hydrofoil, the unsteady diffusion theory given below applies also to the limiting case of "steady" supercavitating flow. The entire unbounded flow is assumed to be turbulent and a turbulent diffusivity is employed which enables one to make engineering estimates of the total diffusion rate into or out of the cavity. The theory accounts for fluctuations in cavity gas pressures and in cavity lengths.