A SOURCE OF PROPELLER EXCITED BROADBAND VIBRATION ON A HIGH-SPEED TWIN SCREW SHIP

The cause of the severe propeller excited broadband vibration on a twin screw ship’s stern was investigated in a cavitation tunnel using conventional modelling methods. At first sight the results did not indicate anything untoward about the stern and propeller designs tested, apart from some unusual cavitation patterns in the propellers’ slipstreams. The fluctuating pressure levels on the model hull varied considerably depending on the propeller designs and loading conditions used in the tests, but these did not provide an explanation for the vibration on the ship. Some unusual patterns in the relative levels of the harmonic pressures on the stern were noticed in addition to the presence of a large cavitation disturbance in a propeller trailing vortex that was captured in a single frame of a video recording. This latter observation led to a plausible explanation for the broadband vibration on the ship’s stern.

EVALUATION OF CAVITATION PERFORMANCE OF AN AXI-SYMMETRIC BODY WITH PUMPJET PROPULSOR

A Pumpjet (PJP) was designed for an underwater body (UWB) with an axi-symmetric configuration as part of a technology development program for design and development of pumpjet. Its propulsive and cavitation performances were predicted through CFD study. The propulsor design was evaluated for its propulsion characteristics through model tests conducted in a Wind Tunnel. In the concluding part of the study, evaluation of the cavitation performance of the pumpjet was undertaken in a Cavitation Tunnel (CT). In order to assess the cavitation free operational speeds and depths of the vehicle with respect to pumpjet, cavitation tests of the PJP were carried out in behind condition at CT to determine the cavitation inception numbers for rotor, stator and cowl. The model test results obtained were corrected for full scale Reynolds number and subsequently analyzed for cavitation inception speeds at different operating depths. This entire exercise facilitated the development of an innovative testing technique and a special test setup for finding cavitation performance of pumpjet propulsor. The technique was evaluated by comparative corroboration of inception position and depth obtained from CFD analysis. From the model tests it was also found that the cavitation inception of the rotor takes place on the tip face side at higher advance ratios and cavitation shifts towards the suction side as the shaft rotation rate increases whereas the stator and cowl are free from any cavitation.

Unsteady force measurements on propeller model in cavitation tunnels

Object and purpose of research. This paper discusses longitudinal unsteady force dynamometer for cavitation tunnel tests. The purpose of the study is to improve metrological performance of the dynamometer and extend the scope of its application. Materials and methods. The study is based on metrological parameters of dynamometers and model test data available with KSRC Large Cavitation Tunnel (LCT). Main results. Development, manufacturing, certification and commissioning of longitudinal unsteady force dynamometer based on piezoceramic load cell with improved metrological performance making it applicable for model testing of not only propellers but also other types of marine propulsors. Conclusion. Dynamometer with piezoceramic load cell offers more accurate measurement of unsteady forces, wider band of measurement frequencies, as well as wider spectrum of possible applications and lower susceptibility to interference.

A Numerical Study on Axial Pump Performance for Large Cavitation Tunnel Operation

In this paper, a numerical investigation was carried out on the performances of a designed axial flow pump for a large cavitation tunnel. From this, the flow characteristics, force, and torque performance of the axial flow pump were investigated, and the rotating speeds of the impeller satisfying the test section speed performances required in the large cavitation tunnel were estimated. The axial flow pump was modeled such that the impeller, stator, and nacelle were located in a cylindrical tunnel. The calculations were carried out for incompressible steady-state turbulent flow considering the impeller rotating. The performance of the pump was confirmed, finding that the head gain was caused by the pressure jump downstream of the pump. The performance of the stator was confirmed to be good enough to refine the tangential flow due to the impeller rotating. To investigate the operating performance of the large cavitation tunnel, the head loss of the entire tunnel without the pump was obtained from a numerical analysis. The operating points were estimated from the specific speed–head coefficient curves, and it was found that the present numerical results were in good agreement with the experiments.

Practical numerical method for erosion risk prediction on ship propellers

It is important to make predictions of cavitation-induced erosion risk on ship propellers in the design phase. Since a cavitation tunnel test on a propeller model coated by soft paint, that is, a standard experimental method for evaluating erosion risk, is costly and time-consuming, numerical methods are necessary for erosion risk predictions. DES is made for cavitating flows around the propeller with a numerically modelled hull wake at the inflow. After achieving a converged solution, an erosion risk index is computed in each cell connecting to the blade surface and accumulated over a propeller rotation. Cavitation simulations are made for two propellers designed for a single-screw ship, of which one showed an erosion indication and the other showed no indication after cavitation tunnel tests with soft paint coating. Three index formulations are compared with the experiment result. The high value region of Index 1 based on the potential energy density of collapsing bubbles corresponds better with the eroded spot indicated by partial and complete paint removals in the experiment than those of the other indices. The maximum value of Index 1 for the non-eroded propeller is lower by more than an order of magnitude than that for the eroded one, whereas the maximum values of the other indices are of the same order of magnitude for both propellers. The validation of Index 1 is in agreement with the criterion that the maximum index needs to be below 1,000 J/m3 for erosion-free propeller designs. The design evolution based on the erosion risk index and propulsive efficiency from CFD shows that it can be a practical tool for a quantitative evaluation of blade surface erosion risk in the propeller design phase.

Analysis of Bulb Turbine Hydrofoil Cavitation

The influence of a bulb runner blade hydrofoil shape on flow characteristics around the blade was studied. Experimental work was performed on a bulb turbine measuring station and a single hydrofoil in a cavitating tunnel. In the cavitation tunnel, flow visualization was performed on the hydrofoil’s suction side. Cavitation structures were observed for several cavitation numbers. Cavitation was less intense on the modified hydrofoil than on the original hydrofoil, delaying the cavitation onset by several tenths in cavitation number. The results of the visualization in the cavitation tunnel show that modifying the existing hydrofoil design parameters played a key role in reducing the cavitation inception and development, as well as the size of the cavitation structures. A regression model was produced for cavitation cloud length. The results of the regression model show that cavitation length is dependent on Reynolds’s number and the cavitation number. The coefficients of determination for both the existing and modified hydrofoils were reasonably high, with R2 values above 0.95. The results of the cavitation length regression model also confirm that the modified hydrofoil exhibits improved the cavitation properties.

Effect of Thermal Treatment and Erosion Aggressiveness on Resistance of S235JR Steel to Cavitation and Slurry

S235JR steel is used in many applications, but its resistance to the erosion processes has been poorly studied. To investigate this resistance, cavitation, and slurry erosion tests were conducted. These tests were carried out at different erosion intensities, i.e., different flow rates in the cavitation tunnel with a system of barricades and different rotational speeds in the slurry pot. The steel was tested as-received and after thermal treatment at 930 °C, which lowered the hardness of the steel. To better understand the degradation processes, in addition to mass loss measurements, surface roughness and hardness were measured. Along with increasing erosion intensity, the mass loss increased as well. However, the nature of the increase in mass loss, as well as the effect of steel hardness on this mass loss, was different for each of the erosion processes. In the cavitation erosion tests, the mass loss increased linearly with the increase in flow velocity, while in the slurry tests this relationship was polynomial, indicating a strong increase in mass losses with an increase in rotational speed. Cavitation erosion resulted in stronger and deeper strain hardening than slurry. Surface damage from cavitation erosion tests was mainly deep pits, voids, and cracks during the slurry tests, while flaking was the most significant damage.

Development of a standard range of waterjets for vessels with high seakeeping performance

Object and purpose of research. The object of the research is a fundamentally new waterjet, intended for installation on ships of increased seakeeping performance with discrete-variable bottom deadrise. The purpose of the research is to develop and experimentally test the impeller and water duct for a variety of waterjet design possible for installation aboard vessels with large deadrise operating in severe weather conditions. Materials and methods. Test data for waterjet impellers obtained at KSRC Cavitation Tunnel for Special Propulsors. Main results. The study made it possible to select optimal impeller geometry and develop the shapes for water inlets and water ducts of three waterjet designs with partial-pressure water inlets: two waterjets with isolated single-elbow water ducts and inlets on the bottom section with medium deadrise, "II"design; two waterjets with combined water duct and inlets on the bottom section with maximum deadrise and double jet, “X” design; single waterjet with bifurcating two-elbow water duct and a pair of water inlets on the bottom section with maximum deadrise, “Y” design. Conclusion. The studies have shown that developed waterjet impeller features good hydrodynamic and cavitation characteristics, and possible air suction creates a smooth, rather than sharp, force decrease.