Numerical investigations of tip clearance flow characteristics of a pumpjet propulsor

In this study, numerical investigations of the tip clearance flow characteristics of a pumpjet propulsor based on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) method have been presented. The Zwart-Gerber-Belamri (Z-G-B) cavitation model based on Reynolds Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) method is employed. The structured gird is applied. The formation and development of the tip clearance flows has been investigated and presented. The structure of the tip leakage vortex has been shown. The radial distributions of different velocity components with different Span along the axial direction have been carried out to present the influence of the tip clearance flow on the main flow. In addition, the influences of the tip clearance size on the pumpjet propulsor performance, including the impact on the velocity flow fields and the cavitation characteristic, have been presented. •The formation and development of the tip clearance flows has been investigated and presented.•The structure of the tip leakage vortex has been shown.•The effect of tip clearance flow on the main flow has been carried out.•The effect of tip clearance size on the pumpjet propulsor performance has been applied and summarized.