Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 March 2006
An analysis is made of the effect of a longitudinal gravity field on two-dimensional supercavitating flow past wedges. Under the assumption that the flow is both irrotational and incompressible, a non-linear theory is developed for steady flow. By utilizing conformal mapping in combination with the Schwarz reflexion principle, the mathematical problem is reduced to a three-parameter, non-linear integral equation with one constraint. The equation is derived by reflecting the flow about the rigid boundaries; the constraint is obtained by requiring the net singularity strength inside the cavity-wedge system to be zero. A successive-approximation procedure is used to obtain a numerical solution of the integral equation. Typical results are presented in graphs and tables, and the results of the present work are compared to those of Acosta's linear theory.