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    Modeling Venturi cavitation length based on longitudinal pressure dissipation and recovery analysis

    Qihao Yi, Zhigang Zuo*, and Shuhong Liu†

    • State Key Laboratory of Hydroscience and Engineering and Department of Energy and Power Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China

    • *Contact author: zhigang200@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn
    • †Contact author: liushuhong@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn

    Phys. Rev. Fluids 11, 024306 – Published 17 February, 2026

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/ng18-wzmz

    Abstract

    Venturi cavitation exhibits unique scaling that deviates from power-law relationships of cavitation length of the flows around wedges or hydrofoils derived from potential-flow theory, due to its inherent longitudinal pressure gradients. This study investigates Venturi cavitation flows through controlled blowdown experiments with high-speed visualization. The nondimensional time-averaged cavitation length Lcav* and pressure recovery coefficient κ are discussed under varying cavitation number (σ) and Reynolds number (Re) conditions. Four distinct cavitation patterns [supercavitation (SPR), cloud cavitation, sheet cavitation, and streak cavitation] are identified, with transitions from SPR to noncavitation as σ or κ increases, resulting in decreasing Lcav*. A piecewise mapping relationship between σ and κ is established, and a combined model using short cavity (for Lcav*≪1) and extended cavity (for Lcav*>h(H−h)tanθ2(tanθ1+tanθ2)) models with logarithmic smoothing accurately predicts Lcav*(σ+1κ). This approach enables cavitation flow pattern identification and cavity length prediction based on σ−κ mapping, providing a practical tool for engineering evaluation across various Venturi geometries.

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