scholarly journals Investigation on the Performance of a Ducted Propeller in Oblique Flow

Author(s):  
Qin Zhang ◽  
Rajeev K. Jaiman ◽  
Peifeng Ma ◽  
Jing Liu

In this study, the ducted propeller has been numerically investigated under oblique flow, which is crucial and challenging for the design and safe operation of the thruster driven vessel and dynamic positioning (DP) system. A Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) model has been first evaluated in the quasi-steady investigation on a single ducted propeller operating in open water condition, and then a hybrid RANS/LES model is adapted for the transient sliding mesh computations. A representative test geometry considered here is a marine model thruster, which is discretized with structured hexahedral cells, and the gap between the blade tip and nozzle is carefully meshed to capture the flow dynamics. The computational results are assessed by a systematic grid convergence study and compared with the available experimental data. As a part of the novel contribution, multiple incidence angles from 15 deg to 60 deg have been analyzed with different advance coefficients. The main emphasis has been placed on the hydrodynamic loads that act on the propeller blades and nozzle as well as their variation with different configurations. The results reveal that while the nozzle absorbs much effort from the oblique flow, the imbalance between blades at different positions is still noticeable. Such unbalance flow dynamics on the blades, and the nozzle has a direct implication on the variation of thrust and torque of a marine thruster.

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (20) ◽  
pp. 31
Author(s):  
Hassan Ghassemi ◽  
Sohrab Majdfar ◽  
Hamid Forouzan

The purpose of this paper is to calculate the hydrodynamic performance of a ducted propeller (hereafter Duct_P) at oblique flows. e numerical code based on the solution of the Reynolds-averaged Navier– Stokes equations (RANSE) applies to the Kaplan propeller with 19A duct. e shear-stress transport (SST)-k-ω turbulence model is used for the present results. Open-water hydrodynamic results are compared with experimental data showing a relatively acceptable agreement. Two oblique flow angles selected to analyze in this paper are 10 and 20 degrees. Numerical results of the pressure distribution and hydrodynamic performance are presented and discussed. 


2017 ◽  
Vol 140 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Guilmineau ◽  
G. B. Deng ◽  
A. Leroyer ◽  
P. Queutey ◽  
M. Visonneau ◽  
...  

This paper presents the capability of a numerical code, isis-cfd, based on the solution of the Navier–Stokes equations, for the investigation on the hydrodynamic characteristics of a marine propeller in open water. Two propellers are investigated: the Istituto Nazionale per Studi ed Esperienze di Architectura Navale (INSEAN) E779A model in straight-ahead flow and the Potsdam Propeller Test Case (PPTC) model in oblique flow. The objectives of this study are to establish capabilities of various turbulent closures to predict the wake propeller and to predict the instability processes in the wake if it exists. Two Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) models are used: the k–ω shear stress transport (SST) of Menter and an anisotropic two-equation explicit algebraic Reynolds stress model (EARSM). A hybrid RANS–large eddy simulation (LES) model is also used. Computational results for global flow quantities are discussed and compared with experimental data. These quantities are in good agreement with the measured data. The hybrid RANS–LES model allows to capture the evolution of the tip vortices. For the INSEAN E779A model, the instability of the wake is only predicted with a hybrid RANS–LES model, and the position of these instabilities is in good agreement with the experimental visualizations.


Author(s):  
Ying Xue ◽  
Xiao-Qian Dong ◽  
Chen-Jun Yang

Abstract The turbulent flow around a cavitating controllable pitch propeller (CPP) is simulated by solving the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations, to investigate the dynamic effects on cavitation when the pitch of propeller blades is changed at different pitch adjustment velocities (PAVs). The process of changing the pitch at prescribed PAVs is controlled by a user-defined function (UDF) in the software FLUENT, and during the process, the time-dependent flow domain is re-discretized at each time step with dynamic meshes. The SST k-ω turbulence model and the cavitation model proposed by Schnerr and Sauer are employed in the simulation. The numerical simulation approach is first validated against model experiments for a fixed pitch propeller (FPP) working in the open water. A grid dependence study is carried out to determine a proper mesh resolution for the simulation of such cavitating flows; then the hydrodynamic performance as well as the extent and volume of the sheet cavities obtained from the RANS simulations are compared with experimental data. Then influences of the PAV on the hydrodynamic performance and cavity geometry are investigated. The CPP blades are rotated around the spindle axes to change the pitch, and the movement is controlled by a UDF. The PAV is prescribed and kept constant in the process of adjusting the pitch. At different PAVs, the unsteady thrust and torque, pressure distributions on blade surfaces and propeller disk, cavity geometry, as well as cavitation volume of the cavitating flow are compared with each other to assess the dynamic effects of the PAV.


2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 219-234
Author(s):  
João Baltazar ◽  
José A. C. Falcão de Campos ◽  
Johan Bosschers ◽  
Douwe Rijpkema

This article presents an overview of the recent developments at Instituto Superior Técnico and Maritime Research Institute Netherlands in applying computational methods for the hydrodynamic analysis of ducted propellers. The developments focus on the propeller performance prediction in open water conditions using boundary element methods and Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes solvers. The article starts with an estimation of the numerical errors involved in both methods. Then, the different viscous mechanisms involved in the ducted propeller flow are discussed and numerical procedures for the potential flow solution proposed. Finally, the numerical predictions are compared with experimental measurements.


2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed Islam ◽  
Fatima Jahra ◽  
Michael Doucet

Mesh and domain optimization strategies for a RANS solver to accurately estimate the open water propulsive characteristics of fixed pitch propellers are proposed based on examining the effect of different mesh and computation domain parameters. The optimized mesh and domain size parameters were selected using Design of Experiments (DoE) methods enabling simulations to be carried out in a limited memory environment, and in a timely manner; without compromising the accuracy of results. A Reynolds-Averaged Navier Stokes solver is used to predict the propulsive performance of a fixed pitch propeller. The predicted thrust and torque for the propeller were compared to the corresponding measurements. A total of six meshing parameters were selected that could affect the computational results of propeller open water performance. A two-level fractional factorial design was used to screen out parameters that do not significantly contribute to explaining the dependent parameters: namely simulation time, propeller thrust and propeller torque. A total of 32 simulations were carried out only to find out that the selected six meshing parameters were significant in defining the response parameters. Optimum values of each of the input parameters were obtained for the DOE technique and additional simulations were run with those parameters. The simulation results were validated using open water experimental results of the same propeller. It was found that with the optimized meshing arrangement, the propeller opens simulation time was reduced by at least a factor of 6 as compared to the generally popular meshing arrangement. Also, the accuracy of propulsive characteristics was improved by up to 50% as compared to published simulation results. The methodologies presented in this paper can be similarly applied to other simulations such as calm water ship resistance, ship propulsion to systematically derive the optimized meshing arrangement for simulations with minimal simulation time and maximum accuracy. This investigation was carried out using STAR-CCM+, a commercial CFD package; however the findings can be applied to any RANS solver.


Author(s):  
Mohammed Islam ◽  
Ron Ryan ◽  
David Molynuex

This paper presents methodologies and some results of a numerical and experimental program to evaluate the effects of static azimuthing conditions on the propulsive characteristics of a puller podded propulsor in open water. In the experimental effort, the model propulsor was instrumented to measure thrust, torque and rotational speed of the propeller, and three orthogonal forces and moments, and azimuthing angle of the pod. The experimental results included the bare propeller (ahead only) and the combined propeller and pod over a range of advance coefficients at various static azimuthing angles in the range of −180° to 180°. A complementary numerical study is being carried out to predict the hydrodynamic forces of podded propulsor in static azimuthing conditions. A Reynolds-Averaged Navier Stokes solver is used to predict the propulsive performance of the bare propeller as well as the podded propulsor system. The thrust and torque for the bare propeller were compared to the corresponding measurements. The propeller thrust and torque as well as the loads on the pod in straight-ahead condition and at static azimuthing angles were then compared with the measurements. Preliminary analysis demonstrates that the RANS solver could predict the performance coefficients of the bare propeller as well as the podded propulsor in straight-ahead and static azimuthing angles in puller configurations.


2013 ◽  
Vol 437 ◽  
pp. 32-35
Author(s):  
Li Jian Ou ◽  
Nan Huo Wu ◽  
De Yu Li

Firstly, the calculated model was created in UG and GAMBIT, and then the Moving Mesh method was adopted to simulate thrust and torque of ducted propeller using FLUENT in the open water. The thrust, torque and bearing force of ducted propeller in three different wake fields were calculated. And the influence on the performance of ducted propeller by the wake fields was analyzed.


2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Mohammed Islam ◽  
Fatima Jahra

This research proposes mesh and domain optimization strategies for a popular Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) technique to estimate the open water propulsive characteristics of fixed pitch propellers accurately and time-efficiently based on examining the effect of various mesh and computation domain parameters. It used a Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) solver to predict the propulsive performance of a fixed pitch propeller with varied meshing, simulation domain and setup parameters. The optimized mesh and domain size parameters were selected using Design of Experiments (DoE) methods enabling simulations in a limited memory and in a timely manner without compromising the accuracy of results. The predicted thrust and torque for the propeller were compared to the corresponding measurements for determining the prediction accuracy. The authors found that the optimized meshing and setup arrangements reduced the propeller opens simulation time by at least a factor of six as compared to the generally popular CFD parameter setup. In addition, the accuracy of propulsive characteristics was improved by up to 50% as compared to published simulation results. The methodologies presented in this paper can be similarly applied to other simulations such as calm water ship resistance, ship propulsion etc. to systematically derive the optimized meshing arrangement for simulations with minimal simulation time and maximum accuracy. This investigation was carried out using a commercial CFD package; however, the findings can be applied to any RANS solver.


Author(s):  
Mohammed Islam ◽  
Fatima Jahra ◽  
Ron Ryan ◽  
Lee Hedd

State of the art CFD capabilities has enabled the accurate prediction of forces and moments on the propeller as well as on the pod-strut body due to small to moderate azimuthing angles. The capability of CFD to predict the hydrodynamics at extreme azimuthing angles is yet to be demonstrated. The aim of this research is to develop a simulation capability to capture most of the dynamics of podded propulsion systems in regular to extreme operating conditions. The numerical methodologies to evaluate the hydrodynamic characteristics of podded propulsors in puller configurations in extremely oblique inflow and highly loaded condition in open water and the associated results are presented in this paper. A numerical study is carried out to predict the hydrodynamic forces of a podded propulsor unit in various extreme static azimuthing conditions. An unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) solver is used to predict the propulsive performance of the podded propulsor system in puller configuration using both steady and unsteady state solutions. To obtain insight into the reliability and accuracy of the results, grid dependency studies are conducted for a podded propulsor in straight-ahead condition. RANS solver simulation technique is first validated against measurements of a puller podded propulsor in straight ahead condition for multiple loading scenarios. The propeller thrust and torque as well as the forces and moments of the pod unit in the three coordinate directions in straight-ahead condition and at static azimuthing angles in the range of −180° to 180° at advance coefficient of 0.20 are then compared with that of the measurements. Additionally, the velocity and pressure distribution on and around the pod-strut-propeller bodies are presented as derived from the RANS predictions. Analysis demonstrates that the RANS solver can predict the performance coefficients of the podded propulsor in extreme azimuthing and in the highly loaded conditions within the same level of accuracy of the same order of magnitude of the experimental results.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 4919
Author(s):  
Bao Liu ◽  
Maarten Vanierschot

The Rim-Driven Thruster (RDT) is an extraordinary innovation in marine propulsion applications. The structure of an RDT resembles a Ducted Propeller (DP), as both contain several propeller blades and a duct shroud. However, unlike the DP, there is no tip clearance in the RDT as the propeller is directly connected to the rim. Instead, a gap clearance exists in the RDT between the rim and the duct. The distinctive difference in structure between the DP and the RDT causes significant discrepancy in the performance and flow features. The present work compares the hydrodynamic performance of a DP and an RDT by means of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations are solved in combination with an SST k-ω turbulence model. Validation and verification of the CFD model is conducted to ensure the numerical accuracy. Steady-state simulations are carried out for a wide range of advance coefficients with the Moving Reference Frame (MRF) approach. The results show that the gap flow in the RDT plays an important role in affecting the performance. Compared to the DP, the RDT produces less thrust on the propeller and duct, and, because of the existence of the rim, the overall efficiency of the RDT is significantly lower than the one of the ducted propeller.


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