Influence of laminar-to-Turbulent transition on model scale propeller performances. Part II: cavitating conditions

The numerical study presented in Part I (Gaggero, 2020), focused on the prediction of the laminar-to-turbulent boundary layer transition on model scale propellers, is extended to cavitating conditions. In the previous study, the application of the γ-Reθ Local Correlation Transition Model allowed for significant improvements in model scale performance prediction and highlighted the role of the turbulence intensity on the transition onset. In this second part of the study, the influence of the same transition model on the inception and development of cavitation is considered. To this aim, a modification of the Schnerr-Sauer mass transfer model, useful for engineering-oriented applications, is proposed to account for the role of the laminar boundary layer in the inception and development of the leading edge sheet cavitation. The proposed analyses, compared with the available measurements at the cavitation tunnel, confirm the improvements of the numerical predictions using the modified model.