Vapor bubble growth rate models for three cavitation regimes: Review and model correction

Analytical vapor bubble growth rate models have played an important role in cavitation modeling with thermodynamic effects in computational fluid dynamics simulations so far. To select more accurate and suitable analytical vapor bubble growth rate models for the cavitation modeling, contemporary analytical vapor bubble growth rate models in three cavitation regimes are briefly reviewed. For completeness and comparison, numerical vapor bubble growth rate models are included as well. One analytical vapor bubble growth rate model and one dimensionless Rayleigh–Plesset equation are rederived, and the characteristic time of one analytical vapor bubble growth rate model in the transition regime is corrected and rederived. The corrected vapor bubble growth rate model is validated by using experimental data and numerical solutions in the literature. It is shown that the corrected vapor bubble growth rate model and its approximate model produce identical results; however, the discriminant of the corrected vapor bubble growth rate model jumps between positive and negative values with time progression in ethanol, leading to a complication in selecting a suitable growth rate. The vapor bubble radii of water, ethanol, and benzene predicted by the corrected vapor bubble growth rate model are in good agreement with the experimental data with errors as 5.8%, 4.7%, and 8.4%, respectively. The analytical bubble growth rate model can predict the incubation period in vapor bubble growth. The analytical bubble growth rate model is potentially applicable in cavitation modeling with thermodynamic effects in computation fluid dynamics simulations.