Wavelet analysis and frequency spectrum of cloud cavitation around a sphere

In this paper, wavelet analysis of the cavitating flow over a sphere is reported. Unsteady and dynamic behaviors of cavitation were captured using large eddy simulation (LES) turbulence approach and Sauer mass transfer models. Numerical simulation is implemented under the framework of OpenFOAM within the interPhaseChangeFoam solver. The simulation is conducted over a wide range of cavitation numbers. Two more essential variations, pressures and kinetic energies, were considered at specific points in front and behind of the sphere's body for sufficient simulation period. The oscillations global frequency modes and spectral content of the cavity cloud are computed and analyzed using Fourier and continuous wavelet transformations. The computed results show that the flow fluctuations enhance by increasing the cavitation number. The low-frequency fluctuations play a pivotal role in the cavitating flow and possess almost the same magnitude in all investigated cavitation numbers. The frequencies enhance as the simulation time increases in all cases. One of the primary frequencies that happened in all cavitation numbers in the cavity cloud separation is due to a Strouhal number within the range of 0.046 and 0.05. Therefore, this Strouhal number can be used for the purpose of cloud cavitation detection.