Experimental Study of the Cavitating Flow on an Independently Heated Venturi Nozzle

Despite the observation of change in the cavitation regime on a heated surface, the specific section of the wall surface that plays a more dominant role in this transition phenomenon remains unknown. This study experimentally investigated the effect of surface temperature of different regions on the cavitating flow in terms of the cavitation regime. The experiments were conducted using a convergent-divergent Venturi nozzle comprising two parts that could be heated independently. The Venturi nozzle could be fully or selectively heated at either the front, where the leading edge of the cavity sheet was located, or the rear, where the cavity sheet developed. The cavitation behavior under different heating conditions was investigated using high-speed visualization and fluctuating pressure measurements. Compared with the non-heated case, which exhibited a sheet-cloud cavitation regime, the cavitation regime on the completely heated Venturi nozzle exhibited transient cavitation. The same transition phenomenon was observed when only the front of the Venturi nozzle was heated. A liquid film was observed beneath the cavity sheet of transient cavitation when only the front portion was heated. In contrast, heating the rear part alone did not induce a change in the cavitation regime. Thus, it appeared that the transition of the cavitation regime on a heated surface was mainly influenced by the temperature increase at the leading edge of the cavity sheet.