Evaluation of Rayleigh–Plesset Equation Based Cavitation Models for Squeeze Film Dampers

This work is intended to evaluate a cavitation model based on the complete Rayleigh–Plesset (RP) equation for use in squeeze film damper calculations. The RP equation governs the variation in the radius of the cavitation bubbles at rest, surrounded by an infinite incompressible fluid and subjected to an external pressure. This equation is obtained from the momentum equation and it takes into account the ensemble of the phenomena related to the dynamics of the bubbles (surface tension, damping, and inertia). All the terms in the RP equation will be taken into account in the present work plus a dilatation viscosity introduced by Someya in 2003. Numerical results will be compared with experimental data obtained by Adiletta and Pietra in 2006. The results underline the influence of the effects contained in the RP equation on the pressure field.