A CFD study on the correlation between the skew angle and blade number of hydrodynamic performance of a submarine propeller

Abstract

In the present study, the correlation between skew angle and blade number on the hydrodynamic performance of a submarine propeller is numerically investigated using computational fluid dynamics. For this purpose, three different blade numbers (3, 5 and 7 blades) and four different skew angles which vary from 0° to 52° are considered based on the INSEAN E1619 propeller model as the main geometry. Three-dimensional numerical simulation is based on Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes equations combined with SST k-ω turbulence model. The hydrodynamic coefficients and efficiency are compared against the experimental and numerical results at various advance coefficients (J), and good agreement is achieved. Based on the results, by increasing the blade number, hydrodynamic coefficients are improved. The interaction between 7 blades dissipates the negative wake region in locations near the propeller blades which leads to produce higher hydrodynamic efficiency compared to other propellers. The maximum torque coefficient is generated by the propeller with 7 blades which is enhanced by about 11.8% compared to the propeller with 3 blades at J = 0.88. In addition, lower skew angle gives slightly higher performance than the high skew angle propeller. In overall, hydrodynamic efficiency of the propeller with a skew angle equal to 0° is enhanced by about 19.4% compared to the propeller with skew angles equal to 52° at J = 0.88. Keywords Propeller • Skew angle • Blade number • Hydrodynamic • Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) List of symbols INSEAN Italian ship model basin DTMB David Taylor model basin MRF Moving reference frame K Q Torque coefficient K T Thrust coefficient Y + Dimensionless wall distance ρ Fluid density (kg/m 3) V a Advance velocity (m/s) δ ij Kronecker delta D Diameter (mm) c Chord length (mm) η 0 Hydrodynamic efficiency J Advance coefficient u Velocity (m/s) μ Viscosity (kg/m s)

Numerical and experimental investigation of the quasi-cavitation effect on a ducted Propeller for ROV

“…Eskandarian and Liu 13 assessed numerically the propulsive performance of a helicopter propeller, and the influence of the blades' pitch on the maneuvering force and torque was cyclically obtained. Malmir 14 presented the effect of skew angle and blade number on the hydrodynamic performance and the propulsive efficiency of a submarine propeller by CFD, and was verified by a thrust experiment. Wu et al 15 numerically studied the hydrodynamic characteristics of the ducted propeller under yawing motion, and can demonstrate the thrust gradually increased in the wake of a speed incensement.…”

Effects of Blade Number on the Propulsion and Vortical Structures of Pre-Swirl Stator Pump-Jet Propulsors

“…For a propeller, the tip flow characterizes its wake topology. Without holding the propeller expansion area ratio, directly changing the blade number notably changes the performance [30][31][32] while the tip vorticity is not notably changed [31] as the load on per blade is not changed. Besides, the blade trailing wakes in propeller wake are restrained by increasing the skew angle [32,33].…”