Cavitation evolution and flow field characteristics of transient flows with multi-point water-column separations in undulating pipeline

Transient flows with water-flow-induced multi-point cavitation inside an undulating pipeline are investigated experimentally under conditions of fast valve closure for three typical test cases by using high-precision pressure transducers, high-speed photography and particle image velocimetry (PIV) techniques. For low initial velocity condition, the transient pressure at the monitoring point (PT1) downstream the valve quickly decreases to the cavitation pressure and fluctuates near it. The leading-edge velocity of the dispersed bubble-like cavitation group first increases with its occurrence and then accelerates and reaches an extreme value before decreasing to zero due to the viscous force and the decrease of water flow inertia, and finally the water flows upstream in reverse, i.e. the leading-edge accelerates and collapses behind the valve. At the same time, the transient pressure rises sharply to maximum 81.86 m due to the return of the compression wave and then decreases sharply to cavitation again because of the switch of the pressure waves. Then, the second cavitation intensity is weak and the corresponding pattern is fog-like, and finally decreases gradually with a cyclic period of about 0.38 s. The transient pressure at the monitoring point (PT2) at the peak of the undulating pipeline also maintains at the cavitation pressure corresponding to the big bubble occurrence moment in addition to its fluctuation near the cavitation pressure including first and second cavitation. Its maximum pressure is 72.16 m and the corresponding cavitation pattern is small and bigger bubbles at different cavitation stages. For middle initial velocity, the typical pattern of the corresponding cavitation is the large cavity with free surface at PT2, the corresponding higher maximum pressures are 102.36 m at PT1 and 84.81 m at PT2. The evolution process of the cavity including bubble mergence, morphological deformation, motion and collapse is analysed based on the broken wave and hydraulic dynamic theories. For high initial velocity, larger cavities occur both downstream the valve and at the peak point of undulating pipeline, and thus the corresponding higher maximum pressures due to larger cavity collapse are 140.56 m at PT1 and 127.98 m at PT2. In particular, complete water column separation with transparent large cavity occur downstream the valve.