Open Access

REVIEW

Progress in the Understanding and Modeling of Cavitation and Related Applications

Jianying Li^1,2,*, Donglai Li^1,2, Tiefeng Li^1,2

1 Key Laboratory of Advanced Manufacturing Intelligent Technology, Ministry of Education, Harbin University of Science and Technology, Harbin, 150080, China
2 School of Mechanica and Power Engineering, Harbin University of Science and Technology, Harbin, 150080, China

* Corresponding Author: Jianying Li. Email:

Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing 2025, 21(3), 445-470. https://doi.org/10.32604/fdmp.2025.062337

Received 16 December 2024; Accepted 26 February 2025; Issue published 01 April 2025

Abstract

Hydrodynamic cavitation, as an efficient technique applied in many physical and chemical treatment methods, has been widely used by various industries and in several technological fields. Relevant generators, designed with specific structures and parameters, can produce cavitation effects, thereby enabling effective treatment and reasonable transformation of substances. This paper reviews the design principles, performance, and practical applications associated with different types of cavitation generators, aiming to provide theoretical support for the optimization of these systems. It systematically analyzes the underpinning mechanisms and the various factors influencing the cavitation phenomena, also conducting a comparative analysis of the performance of different types of generators. Specific applications dealing with wastewater treatment, chemical reaction acceleration, and other fields are discussed together with the advantages, disadvantages, and applicability of each type of cavitation generator. We also explore research progress in areas such as cavitation stability, energy efficiency, and equipment design upgrades. The study concludes by forecasting the application prospects of intelligent design and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in optimizing and advancing cavitation generators. It proposes new ideas for the further development of cavitation technology and highlights directions for its widespread future application.

---

Graphic Abstract

---

Keywords

---