On the importance of boundary layer calculations instead of viscous correction in heavily loaded marine propellers while using a surface panel method

A surface panel method is employed for the thin boundary layer calculation of heavily loaded marine propellers in steady state conditions. Employing the surface panel method, known as the “Morino Method”, the flow field around the propeller is represented by an unknown potential. The majority of the flow field is governed by the potential theory while the viscosity is assumed to be largely confined to thin shear layer on the propeller surface. The boundary layer calculations are performed by using Cebeci-Smith two dimensional model and the local skin friction coefficients and blowing velocities are obtained along the pre-computed on-body streamlines. It is shown that the prediction of torque of the propeller is improved when the boundary layer calculations are used instead of the boundary layer corrections based on the formulae established for the flat plates.