Numerical modelling of cavities on axisymmetric bodies at zero and non‐zero angle of attack

The flow about submerged, fully cavitating axisymmetric bodies at both zero and non-zero angle of attach is considered in this paper. A cavity closure model that relates the point of detachment, the angle that the separating streamline makes with the body and the cavity length is described. The direct boundary element method is used to solve the potential flow problem and to determine the cavity shape. A momentum integral boundary layer solver is included in the formulation so that shear stresses can be incorporated into the drag calculations. The numerical predictions based on the proposed closure model are compared with water tunnel measurements and photographs.