Numerical simulations of a cavitating propeller in uniform and oblique flow

Issue title: Selected papers from NAV 2018: 19th International Conference on Ship and Maritime Research

Guest editors: Paolo Frandoli, Alberto Marinò and Vittorio Bucci

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Morgut, Mitja^{a; *; **} | Jošt, Dragica^b | Škerlavaj, Aljaž^b | Nobile, Enrico^a | Contento, Giorgio^a | Pigazzini, Riccardo^a | Puzzer, Thomas^a | Martini, Simone^a

Affiliations: [a] University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy | [b] Kolektor-Turboinštitut, 1210 Ljubljana, Slovenia

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding Author: Mitja Morgut, Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Trieste, via A. Valerio 10, 34127 Trieste, Italy.

Correspondence: [**] Corresponding author. E-mail: mmorgut@units.it.

Abstract: The numerical predictions of a cavitating model scale propeller working in uniform and oblique flow conditions are presented. The cavitating phenomena are numerically reproduced using a homogeneous (mixture) model where three previously calibrated mass transfer models are alternatively used to model the mass transfer rate. The turbulence effect is modelled using the Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) approach. The simulations are performed using an open source solver. The numerical results are compared with available experimental data. For a quantitative comparison the propeller thrust is considered, while for a qualitative comparison, snapshots of cavitation patterns are shown. The thrust values obtained with the three different mass transfer models are very close to each other, however differences in the predicted cavitation patterns are observed. Moreover, some discrepancies between the numerical results and experimental data are reported.

Keywords: Propeller, cavitation, uniform inflow, oblique flow, RANS

DOI: 10.3233/ISP-180257

Journal: International Shipbuilding Progress, vol. 66, no. 1, pp. 77-90, 2019