Non-Linear Analysis of the Flow Around Partially or Super-Cavitating Hydrofoils by a Potential Based Panel Method

The problem of analyzing the flow around a partially or super-cavitating hydrofoil in an ideal fluid is addressed by employing a low order perturbation potential based panel method. The cavity surface is determined as a part of the solution in an iterative manner. As a first iteration in determining the final cavity surface, the foil beneath the cavity is used in the case of partially cavitating hydrofoils, and the cavity shape from linear theory is used in the case of super-cavitating hydrofoils. The numerical scheme is shown to be very robust and to converge to the final cavity shape quicker than a previous numerical scheme based on a surface vorticity velocity based panel method.