Effect of leading edge tubercles bionic blade of high speed pump jet propulsor on cavitation suppression

The occurrence of cavitation in hydraulic machinery is a matter of significant concern, as it presents a substantial risk to the reliable functioning of pump jet propulsors. The point of this study is to find out how well bionic blades with different kinds of leading edge (LE) tubercles distribution stop cavitation in high-speed pump jet propulsors. Furthermore, it examines their performance in various cavitation scenarios. The study conducts a thorough evaluation of the function of bionic blades in mitigating cavitation and maintaining performance by analyzing head, efficiency, cavitation shape, pressure distribution, entropy production, vortex flow, and pressure pulsations. In the absence of reaching the cavitation critical point, the bionic blade 1 (BB1) model exhibited a head that was 2.65% greater than that of the original blade (OB) model. Additionally, it had the highest level of effectiveness among the three bionic blades in preventing cavitation, causing a 5%–8% delay. Furthermore, the LE tubercles not only successfully inhibited cavitation but to some degree stimulated the formation of both tip clearance cavitation and tip leakage cavitation. The BB1 model did a better job of controlling entropy production and vortex flow during the inception to collapse of cavitation. This led to lower losses, more consistent flow properties, and higher efficiency compared to the OB model. Analysis of the pressure pulsations shows that BB1 exhibits a reduction in pulsation intensity across all cavitation numbers, indicating excellent dynamic stability.