Numerical investigation on the gas entrainment of ventilated partial cavity based on a multiscale modelling approach

•A multiscale numerical approach which integrates a sub-grid air entrainment model into the two-fluid framework has been proposed to resolve the flowfield created by ventilated cavity including the large-scale cavity profile, gas entrainment at the cavity tail and the bubble dispersion downstream.•We investigated the flow parameter distributions including the void fraction, the bubble velocity and the bubble size distributions in and downstream of the ventilated cavity. Comparisons between the numerical results with the experimental data are in satisfactory agreement, demonstrating the potential of the proposed methodology.•We examined the ventilation rate effect on the cavity shape and the bubbly flow parameters, providing valuable insight on the combined drag reduction mechanism resulted from large-scale cavity and microbubbles. Ventilated cavitation which is acknowledged as an efficient drag reduction technology for underwater vehicle is characterised by the very disparate length and time scales, posing great difficulty in the application of this technology. A multiscale numerical approach which integrates a sub-grid air entrainment model into the two-fluid framework is proposed in this paper to resolve the complex flow field created by ventilated cavity. Simulations have been carried out for the partially ventilated cavity underneath flat plate, with special efforts putting on understanding the gas entrainment at the cavity tail and the bubble dispersion process downstream. The flow parameters including the void fraction, the bubble velocity and the bubble size distributions in and downstream of the ventilated cavity are fully investigated. Comparisons between the numerical results with the experimental data are in satisfactory agreement, demonstrating the potential of the proposed methodology. The ventilation rate effect on the cavity shape and bubbly flow parameters are further investigated, obtaining the law of bubble dispersion and the bubble size evolution. This research not only provide a useful method for the investigation on the multiscale multiphase flow, but also give insight on understanding the combined drag reduction mechanism resulted from large-scale cavity and microbubbles.