An experimental investigation into the influence of the micro vortex generator on the leading stability of cloud cavities around a hydrofoil

The objective of this paper is to investigate the effect of a passive control method on the leading stability of a cloud cavity around a hydrofoil. Two differently positioned micro vortex generators (mVG) are installed on the leading edge (LE) of a National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics 66 hydrofoil. The structural parameters of mVG-1 are the same as those of mVG-2, but closer to the LE of the hydrofoil. A high-speed camera is employed to capture the transient evolution of cavitating flow. The results show that the cloud cavities on the baseline hydrofoil are divided into the hybrid cavity mode (α = 6°) and the fingerlike cavity mode (α = 8°–12°), relying on the cavity LE structure. The hybrid cavity consists of coupled traveling bubbles and fingerlike cavities, dominated by fingerlike cavities. The fingerlike cavity is attached to cavities with only a single form of LE. The hybrid cavity is replaced by fingerlike vortex cavitation on the mVG hydrofoil, leading to a fixed incipient position of the cavity. Fingerlike cavity structures on the three hydrofoils are generated by different mechanisms. The fingerlike vortex cavity of the mVG-1 hydrofoil is induced by the mVG, whereas the other two hydrofoils are induced by boundary layer separation and spanwise.