Researchers are working collaboratively with seven universities in the United States to understand the physics of cavitation and bubbly flows.

Cavitation is the process where vapour bubbles form in water flowing over a surface, such as a hull or propeller, and then collapse.

It has a similar appearance to boiling water but is driven by the reduction of pressure.

This can result in high levels of noise, vibrations, and damage to the surface of vessels when the bubbles burst.

Research leader Professor Paul Brandner said the complex flows of water can be studied in the AMC’s cavitation tunnel, which is the only one of its kind in Australia and one of only a handful of similar research laboratories in the world.

“Before we can develop measures and strategies to control cavitation or mitigate its adverse effects, we need to understand the physics and that’s what this research is all about,” he said.

“It’s about understanding the role of those little bubbles, how they interact with turbulence, how the cavitation develops and initiates.”

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The first step was to develop techniques to create the bubbles full of vapour and now, with a $3 million grant, a series of experiments will be undertaken which must be measured visually with fast-paced cameras.

“It is going to be high-quality research that will involve two PHD students and two post-doctoral researchers and possibly more,” Professor Brandner said.

“That will lead to a series of high-quality research publications and obviously it will further develop our place internationally in the community and what an opportunity it is to work with those leading universities from the US.”

Professor Brandner said being able to undertake this kind of research is fundamental to developing and building Australia’s naval capability.

“New results and greater understanding obtained from this research will be used to develop better computational flow models for improved design of ship and submarine propellers and hull shapes,” he said.

The work supports the partnership between the university, the Defence Science and Technology Group and the US Office of Naval Research.

The research is expected to take about four years.