Pressure-temperature Curve for Cavitation Simulation — Lesson 4

When should the vaporization pressure-temperature curve be provided for a cavitation simulation?

The importance of the Psat-Tsat curve on some of the cavitation simulation scenarios are mentioned below.

1. If cavitation is localized and collapses within a small region and the flow is a nearly isothermal process, then the default method (in which the energy solver is off) with a single value for vaporization pressure is sufficient.
2. If cavitation is localized and collapses within a small region but the flow is non-isothermal, the local region at which cavitation may trigger will be governed by the local temperature, pressure, and corresponding vaporization pressure. Hence, in such cases specifying the Psat-Tsat curve can be important.
3. When simulating a flashing type of phenomenon in which a larger amount of vapor sustains itself downstream of the inception, then invoking the energy solver and specifying the vaporization pressure as a function of temperature can be important.