Applicability research and experimental verification based on the coupling of turbulence model and mesh types to capture jet characteristics

Through the experimental verification, the accuracy of the cavitation jet feature captured by the coupling numerical calculation with different mesh types and different turbulence models is evaluated. Firstly, we built a high-speed jet experimental platform, and a high-speed camera and a paperless recorder are used to record the pressure, flow rate, and jet cloud oscillation of the jet pump in different states. The oscillation period and length of the jet cloud under different cavitation numbers are analyzed by the gray value method. The numerical results are compared with the experimental results. It is found that after the numerical calculation converges, the states of the jet cloud calculated by K–O and LES coupled with different meshes are periodically oscillating, while K-E does not. However, the maximum jet cloud lengths calculated by K-E and K–O turbulence models under different mesh types are nearly the same. Overall, the oscillation period calculated by the LES model is more in line with the experimental results, but its amplitude and maximum length are more different from the experimental results. In terms of capturing the jet cloud, critical pressure ratio, turbulent state and vapor volume fraction, the accuracy order of numerical calculation results are P–H (polyhedron-hexahedron mesh) ≈ P (polyhedron mesh) > H-T (hexahedral-tetrahedral mesh) > T (tetrahedral mesh), P–H ≈ P > T > H-T, P–H ≈ P > H-T > T and P–H > P > T > H-T, respectively. This research can provide more appropriate solutions for different concerns, as well as guidance for improving the accuracy and efficiency of simulations, and provides a basis for optimizing and developing specialized mesh types and turbulence models. •Based on K–O, the order of accuracy for capturing the jet cloud is P–H ≈ P > H-T > T.•Based on K-E, the order of accuracy for capturing hcr and Ps is P–H ≈ P > T > H-T.•The I and ε obtained by the numerical calculation of P–H are the most accurate.•P–H captures the vapor volume fraction more accurately, H-T is the worst.