Numerical simulation of bubble wakes with mixed scales of underwater vehicles

Abstract

Bubbles in underwater vehicle wakes vary in size. However, there are limited studies on the influence of bubbles of different sizes on the bubble wake. In this investigation, the bubble wake generated by SUBOFF navigation was numerically simulated for a mixed-size bubble group using a mixture model. The overall distribution of the bubble wake was determined, and the effect of speed and exhaust velocity on the bubble wake were explored. The results indicate that a gradually diffused bubble band appears at the tail of the underwater vehicle. An increase in the speed and exhaust velocity accelerated the speed of bubble diffusion and floatation in the bubble wake, and the influence of speed on the bubble wake of the vehicle was greater than that of the exhaust velocity. After a period of navigation, the proportion of small bubbles increased, the proportion of medium-sized and large-sized bubbles decreased, and the proportion of small bubbles on the surface of the vehicle was higher than that on the entire XZ plane.