Comparative CFD Investigation on the Performance of a New Family of Super-Cavitating Hydrofoils

We present a CFD characterization of a new type of super-cavitating hydrofoil section designed to have optimal performance both in super-cavitating conditions and in sub-cavitating conditions (including transitional regime). The basic concepts of the new profile family are first introduced. Lift, drag and cavity shapes at different cavitation numbers are calculated for a new foil and compared with those of conventional sub-cavitating and super-cavitating profiles. Numerical calculations confirm the superior characteristics of the new hydrofoil family, which is able to attain high lift and efficiency both in sub-cavitating and super-cavitating conditions. Numerical calculations are based on a multi-phase fully turbulent URANSE solver with a bubble dynamic cavitation model to follow the generation and evaporation of the vapor phase. The new profile family, initially devised for ultra-high speed hydrofoil crafts, may result useful for diverse applications such as super-cavitating or surface-piercing propellers or high-speed sailing boats.