Experimental Studies of a Hydrofoil Designed for Supercavitation

Abstract

Thin hydrofoils specifically designed to operate under conditions of extreme cavitation have been tested in a free-jet water tunnel to determine their performance characteristics in two-dimensional flow. The hydrodynamic forces acting on the foil section were evaluated from pressure distribution measurements, and related cavitation observations were made. The force studies indicated favorable performance but established the necessity for providing a very thin and sharp leading edge. The small rounding of the leading edges tested obscured possible correlation with the basic theory of the foil design employed.