Numerical prediction of supersonic bulk-cavitation closure pulses

Two numerical approaches to the problem of theoretically predicting closure pulses produced by bulk cavitation are reviewed: a single-stage, finite-difference approach based directly on the governing differential equations of hydrodynamics and a multi-stage approach which assumes several different simplified formulations of the governing equations at different times during the bulk cavitation process. New extensions to both current approaches are reported by the author and used to solve an example problem. In particular, a new graphical method for predicting the form of closure pulses everywhere except near regions of subsonic closure is described. The two numerical approaches are compared on the basis of the example problem solutions and several aspects of the methods which require further development are identified.