Partitioned simulation of the acoustic behavior of flexible marine propellers using finite and boundary elements

Abstract

In the last years, classification societies have announced several specifications regarding the , limitation of the noise level of ships. Accordingly, the prediction of the acoustic signature of cavitating propellers, which are the main source for noise generation, has attracted a lot of interest. For an accurate numerical simulation of the underlying physics, the deformation of the propeller has to be taken into account, which results in a fluid-structure interaction (FSI) problem. In order to utilize different discretization methods for the individual sub-problems, we apply a partitioned solution approach. This makes it possible to use a finite element solver for the structural problem, while a boundary element solver is used for the fluid problem. From the solution of the FSI problem, the acoustic pressure in the far field is obtained using the Ffowcs William-Hawking equation.

Validation of a partitioned fluid-structure interaction simulation for turbo machine rotors

“…CFRP propellers have already been used for large commercial vessels -with promising results [1]. Previous works have demonstrated that flexible marine propellers, apart from reducing the weight, allow for a reduction of cavitation which leads to a decrease in noise emission [2] [3]. Taking advantage of the anisotropy of composite propellers, it is also possible to increase the efficiency [4].…”