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Research Papers: Flows in Complex Systems

# Unsteady Numerical Simulation of Cavitating Turbulent Flow Around a Highly Skewed Model Marine Propeller

[+] Author and Article Information
Bin Ji, Xin Wang, Yulin Wu, Hongyuan Xu

State Key Laboratory of Hydroscience and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China

Xianwu Luo1

State Key Laboratory of Hydroscience and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, Chinaluoxw@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn

Xiaoxing Peng

China Ship Scientific Research Center, Wuxi 214082, China

1

Corresponding author.

J. Fluids Eng 133(1), 011102 (Jan 28, 2011) (8 pages) doi:10.1115/1.4003355 History: Received July 19, 2010; Revised January 03, 2011; Published January 28, 2011; Online January 28, 2011

## Abstract

The cavitating flows around a highly skewed model marine propeller in both uniform flow and wake flow have been simulated by applying a mass transfer cavitation model based on Rayleigh–Plesset equation and $k-ω$ shear stress transport (SST) turbulence model. From comparison of numerical results with the experiment, it is seen that the thrust and torque coefficients of the propeller are predicted satisfactory. It is also clarified from unsteady simulation of cavitating flow around the propeller in wake flow that the whole process of cavitating-flow evolution can be reasonably reproduced including sheet cavitation and tip vortex cavitation observed in the experiments. Furthermore, to study the effect of pressure fluctuation on the surrounding, pressure fluctuations induced by the cavitation as well as the propeller rotation are predicted at three reference positions above the propeller for comparison with the experimental data: The amplitudes of the dominant components corresponding to the first, second, and third blade passing frequencies were satisfactorily predicted. It is noted that the maximum difference of pressure fluctuation between the calculation and experiment reached 20%, which might be acceptable by usual engineering applications.

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## Figures

Figure 1

Computation domain of single flow passage

Figure 2

Mesh generation near-wall surface of a propeller blade

Figure 3

Figure 4

Distribution of y+ at the blade surface of the propeller: (a) view from the front side and (b) view from the back side

Figure 5

Measured nominal wake distribution used for nonuniform flow simulation (28)

Figure 6

Open water characteristics of the high skewed propeller with respect to advance ratio

Figure 7

Coordinate systems (view from the upstream side of the propeller)

Figure 8

Variations of performances during one propeller rotation (dashed line: noncavitating-flow case and solid line: cavitating-flow case at σ=2.99): (a) KT, (b) KQ, (c) KT1, and (d) KQ1

Figure 9

Pressure fluctuations at three monitoring points for the noncavitating-flow case: (a) Kp versus time (s) and (b) ΔKp versus frequency (Hz)

Figure 10

Comparison of the first blade passing frequency component ΔKp in the noncavitating flow

Figure 11

Comparison of the cavity pattern for σ=2.99 during propeller rotation between calculation and experimental observation (from Ref. 23): (a) θ=−10 deg, (b) θ=0 deg, (c) θ=10 deg, (d) θ=20 deg, (e) θ=30 deg, (f) θ=40 deg, (g) θ=50 deg, (h) θ=60 deg, and (i) θ=70 deg

Figure 12

Pressure fluctuations at three monitoring points for the cavitating-flow case: (a) Kp versus time (s) and (b) ΔKp versus frequency (Hz)

Figure 13

Comparison of the first blade passing frequency component of pressure amplitude at three monitoring points

Figure 14

Comparison of dominant components of pressure amplitude at point C

Figure 15

Pressure fluctuation and cavity pattern for σ=2.99

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