Stability of Air Nucleus in Liquid Water and Cavitation Inception on Marine Engineering

Abstract The micro air nucleus widely distributed in the ocean is a necessary condition for the cavitation of hydraulic machinery in seawater. In order to study the stability of air nucleus in seawater and cavitation inception, the computational domain of water molecules with air nucleus was studied using the method of molecular dynamics simulation, and the transient characteristics of air nucleus in liquid water were obtained. The key factors influencing nuclei stability were analyzed. The results showed that air nucleus with a certain mass could maintain the dynamic equilibrium in liquid water. The internal density of air nuclei had a critical value that allowed the nuclei to stably exist in water. The air nuclei mass was the decisive factor in its equilibrium volume in water, and the two were positively correlated. The internal density of air nuclei was negatively correlated with the nuclei radius when the nuclei was stable in water. Liquid surface tension was an important factor affecting the stability of the air nuclei. The larger the initial radius of nuclei, the smaller the water pressure, and the more likely the cavitation occurs.