Patent ID: 7912687
Filing Date: 2011-03-22
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for predicting the likelihood of cavitation damage occurring on a surface of a hydrodynamic component, the method comprising: creating a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation of the hydrodynamic component, wherein creating the CFD simulation includes simulating a fluid proximal to the surface of the hydrodynamic component; selecting a location on the surface of the hydrodynamic component, wherein the selected location is exposed to the simulated fluid; determining the mean pressure and standard deviation, the standard deviation of the rate of change in pressure, the mean void percentage and standard deviation, and the standard deviation of the rate of change in void percentage for the fluid at the selected surface location; and analyzing at least one of the mean pressure and standard deviation, the standard deviation of the rate of change in pressure, the mean void percentage and standard deviation, and the standard deviation of the rate of change in void percentage for the fluid at the selected surface location to predict the likelihood of cavitation damage occurring at the selected surface location.