Analysis of wake behind a rotating propeller using PIV technique in a cavitation tunnel

A two-frame particle image velocimetry (PIV) technique is used to investigate the wake characteristics behind a marine propeller with 4 blades at high Reynolds number. For each of 9 different blade phases from 0° to 80°, 150 instantaneous velocity fields are measured. They are ensemble averaged to study the spatial evolution of the propeller wake in the region ranging from the trailing edge to one propeller diameter (D) downstream location. The phase-averaged mean velocity shows that the trailing vorticity is related to radial velocity jump, and the viscous wake is affected by boundary layers developed on the blade surfaces and centrifugal force. Both Galilean decomposition method and vortex identification method using swirling strength calculation are very useful for the study of vortex behaviors in the propeller wake region. The slipstream contraction occurs in the near-wake region up to about X/D=0.53 downstream. Thereafter, unstable oscillation occurs because of the reduction of interaction between the tip vortex and the wake sheet behind the maximum contraction point.     

潜艇指挥台围壳对阻力和伴流场影响数值研究

采用Reynolds平均Navier-Stokes(RANS)方法计算潜艇三维粘性流场,分析潜艇指挥台围壳对潜艇水动力性能的影响.采用全附体SUBOFF模型验证了CFD方法,通过将螺旋桨盘面处的实效伴流场、艇体表面压力分布以及模型总阻力的模拟结果与Taylor船池的实验结果进行对比.比较结果显示CFD计算结果与实验数据具有很好的一致性,表明CFD方法可以用于潜艇指挥台围壳设计的水动力计算.通过数值计算研究指挥台围壳的高度和在艇上的分布位置对其后方的流场、螺旋桨盘面处的伴流场和阻力的影响.     

PIV measurements of hull wake behind a container ship model with varying loading condition

Flow characteristics of the hull wake behind a container ship model were investigated under different loading conditions (design and ballast loadings) by employing the particle image velocimetry (PIV) technique. Measurements were made at four transverse locations and two longitudinal planes for three Reynolds numbers (Re) (=U₀Lpp/ν, where U₀ is the freestream velocity, Lpp is the length between two perpendiculars of the ship model and ν is the kinematic viscosity) of 5.08×10⁵, 7.60×10⁵, and 1.01×10⁶. It was observed that symmetric, large-scale, longitudinal counter-rotating vortices (with respect to centerline) of nearly the same strength were formed in the near wake. For the ballast-loading condition, the vortices appear at propeller plane below the propeller-boss. The vortex center exhibits a significant upward shift near the propeller-boss as the Reynolds number increase, and as the flow moves downstream. Under the design-loading condition, the vortices first appear at a further downstream location than that for the ballast-loading condition above the propeller-boss. This difference in the flow structure can significantly change the inflow conditions to the propeller blades, such as the streamwise mean velocity profiles and turbulence intensity distributions at the propeller plane. In particular, under the ballast-loading condition, asymmetric inflow may weaken the propulsion and cavitation performance of the marine propeller.     

均匀流中直立圆柱体绕流三维数值模拟

研究直立贯底圆柱体的三维粘性绕流问题。以不可压缩Navier-Stokes方程为控制方程,采用有限体积法和SIMPLE算法,建立了数值模拟方法。考察在不同水平和垂直断面上,圆柱体绕流产生的尾涡和流动速度场的分布特性,成功地数值模拟了直立贯底圆柱体绕流场的三维特性。结果表明,在考虑重力影响的情况下,直立圆柱体周围的流动具有明显的三维特性,而且沿圆柱体轴向不同断面上的尾涡分布是不相同的。     

Performance analysis of podded propulsors

In this study, the flow around the pod unit is analysed and the performance characteristics of the propeller on the pod are investigated. The main objective of the present work is to further improve the original numerical method developed before for the prediction of performance of podded propellers and to further validate the earlier developed numerical model with a specific emphasis on the hydrodynamic interaction amongst the propulsor components. While in the earlier numerical method, the axial induced velocities by pod and strut parts were included into the calculations on the propeller disc plane, in the present method the tangential induced velocities on the propeller disc plane are included in the calculations as well. The flow domain around the podded propeller is mainly divided into three parts; the axisymmetric pod part, the strut part and the propeller part. While the pod and strut parts are modelled by a low-order boundary element method (BEM), the propeller is represented by a vortex lattice method (VLM). Coupling of the BEM and the VLM is carried out in an iterative manner to incorporate the effect of the pod on the propeller, and vice versa. The present numerical method is applied to two different podded propellers with zero yaw angles in order to compare the results with those of experimental measurements. The present numerical method is also validated in the case of 15° of yaw angle for a podded propulsor. The effect of pod and strut on the propeller and vice versa are discussed.     

带前缘结节叶片导管桨尾流不稳定性分析

导管桨的尾流不稳定性在其性能评价中非常重要,不但是其能否提供稳定推力的保证,而且也与螺旋桨的尾流噪声直接相关。为了改善导管桨的尾流,提高尾流稳定性,并优化导管桨的流场脉动,根据座头鲸鳍肢前缘结节的仿生原理,对导管桨叶片的导边进行改进,提出了两种仿生桨型,采用IDDES湍流模型对低进速系数下常规导管桨和仿生叶片导管桨进行数值模拟,探究叶片构型对导管桨性能和尾流不稳定性的影响。计算结果表明,前缘结节可以有效降低叶片受力波动的幅值和叶片所受合力的主频域峰值,具有较大结节的叶片对导管桨尾流有明显的优化作用,在尾流远场中扩大了流动稳定区,延后了尾流处涡破碎的发生,改善了能量谱密度的频域分布。进一步,大前缘结节叶片导管桨应用在低速工况下时,可以大量减少尾流泄涡区域的二次涡产生,这是由于前缘结节提升了相邻涡互感的强度,使得尾流更加稳定,而小结节叶片仿生桨型对导管桨尾流则无明显优化作用。研究方法和成果可为螺旋桨尤其是导管桨尾流不稳定性研究提供参考,不仅验证了前缘结节在导管桨叶片应用的合理性,而且揭示了其优化尾流稳定性的机理。     

Numerical investigation of the scale effect of hydrodynamic performance of the hybrid CRP pod propulsion system

The scale effect of hydrodynamic performance of the hybrid CRP pod propulsion system was investigated numerically using the RANS method combined with SST k − ω turbulence model and moving mesh method. The pod resistance influence factor was introduced to represent the effect of wake field of CRP on the pod resistance. Results showed the pod resistance influence factor to be a function of the Reynolds number and revolution ratio. Representative function expression can be obtained by regression analysis using multiplication of multinomial polynomials and linear function. The standard ITTC 1978 extrapolation procedure can be utilized to predict hydrodynamic performance of forward propeller because of the slightness of the influence of the pod unit on the forward propeller. The thrust and torque coefficient influence factors of aft propeller were introduced, and they were found to represent the effect of wake field of forward propeller and blockage effect of the pod on the hydrodynamic performance of aft propeller. It shows that thrust and torque coefficient influence factors are independent of the Reynolds number and have a linear relationship with the revolution ratio. On this basis, a method of estimating the hydrodynamic performance was proposed for full scale propulsion system.     

Numerical simulation of viscous cavitating flow around a ship propeller

In the present study, cavitation and a ship propeller wake are reported by computed fluid dynamics based on viscous multiphase flow theory. Some recent validation results with a hybrid grid based on unsteady Navier-Stokes (N-S) and bubble dynamics equations are presented to predict velocity, pressure and vapor volume fraction in propeller wake in a uniform inflow. Numerical predictions of sheet cavitation, tip vortex cavitation and hub vortex cavitation are in agreement with the experimental data, same as numerical predictions of longitudinal and transversal evolution of the axial velocity. Blade and shaft rate frequency of propeller is well predicted by the computed results of pressure, and tip vortex is the most important to generate the pressure field within the near wake. The overall results indicate that the present approach is reliable for prediction of cavitation and propeller wake on the condition of uniform inflow.     

Direct numerical simulation of flow over a slotted cylinder at low Reynolds number

Direct numerical simulation was conducted to investigate the flow past a slotted cylinder at low Reynolds number (Re) of 100. The slotting of cylinder affects the boundary layer separation, vortex formation position, recirculation region length and wake width, which are determined by the type of slit. The streamwise slit (SS1), T-shaped slit (SS3) and Y-shaped slit (SS4) act as passive jets, while the transverse slit (SS2) achieves an alternate self-organized boundary layer suction and blowing. The flow rate in slits fluctuates over time due to the alternate vortex shedding and fluctuating pressure distribution around the cylinder surface. One fluctuation cycle of flow rate is caused by a pair of vortices shedding for SS2, SS3 and SS4, while it is created by each vortex shedding for SS1. The wall shear stress and flow impact on the slit wall partly contribute to the hydrodynamic forces acting on the slotted cylinder. Taking into account the internal wall of slit, the transverse slit plays the best role in suppressing the fluid forces with drag reduction of 1.7% and lift reduction of 17%.     

Influence of Ice Size Parameter Variation on Hydrodynamic Performance of Podded Propulsor

During ice-breaking navigation, a massive amount of crushed ice blocks with different sizes is accumulated under the hull of an ice-going ship. This ice slides into the flow field in the forward side of the podded propulsor, affecting the surrounding flow field and aggravating the non-uniformity of the propeller wake. A pulsating load is formed on the propeller, which affects the hydrodynamic performance of the podded propulsor. To study the changes in the propeller hydrodynamic performance during the ice podded propulsor interaction, the overlapping grid technique is used to simulate the unsteady hydrodynamic performance of the podded propulsor at different propeller rotation angles and different ice block sizes. Hence, the hydrodynamic blade behavior during propeller rotation under the interaction between the ice and podded propulsor is discussed. The unsteady propeller loads and surrounding flow fields obtained for ice blocks with different sizes interacting with the podded propulsor are analyzed in detail. The variation in the hydrodynamic performance during the circular motion of a propeller and the influence of ice size variation on the propeller thrust and torque are determined. The calculation results have certain reference significance for experiment-based research, theoretical calculations and numerical simulation concerning ice podded propulsor interaction.     

基于LES的ROV导管推进器梢隙流动数值研究

导管推进器是一种普遍应用于无人遥控潜水器（ROV）等潜器中的特种推进器。在桨叶与导管之间的梢隙中存在非常复杂的流动,本研究基于大涡模拟（LES）对导管推进器的梢隙流动进行了数值模拟分析。通过对时间步长的收敛性研究,建立两套基于不同网格类型的计算模型。将计算结果与试验进行对比,比较两种不同类型网格模拟结果的差异发现,切割体网格能够更好地捕捉到泄涡的细节,并结合梢隙流场的原理分析泄涡发展的过程,梢隙涡的驱动力是吸力面与压力面之间的压差。此外,随着进速系数增大,梢隙周向的涡管轴向分布范围减小,主泄涡发生位置延后,泄出涡的长度和数量都有所减少。     

不同雷诺数下倾斜圆柱绕流三维数值模拟研究

基于计算流体力学(CFD)开源代码OpenFOAM开展了不同雷诺数(Re=100、1500和3900)和倾斜角度(-60°≤α≤60°)工况下倾斜圆柱绕流流场的三维数值模拟,研究倾斜圆柱绕流的三维瞬时及时均尾流流场、流线拓扑、升阻力系数与旋涡脱落频率随雷诺数及倾斜角度变化的规律,探讨在顺流向及逆流向情况下独立性原则对倾斜圆柱绕流的适用性。研究结果表明:随着圆柱倾角的增大,倾斜圆柱尾流产生较为明显的轴向流,尾流旋涡脱落受到明显抑制,细碎旋涡逐渐消失,尾流宽度随之减小;随着雷诺数的增大,圆柱尾流涡管发生明显的变形,展向掺混使得大量细碎旋涡产生,呈现出明显的三维特性。在不同雷诺数下,阻力系数均值、升力系数均方根及无量纲涡脱频率在一定倾角范围内符合独立性原则。     

Numerical analysis of a propeller during heave motion in cavitating flow

In practical maritime conditions, ship hulls experience heave motion due to the action of waves, which can further drive the ship’s propellers to oscillate relative to the surrounding water. In order to investigate the motion of a propeller working behind a surface vessel sailing in waves, a numerical simulation is conducted on a propeller impacted by heave motion in cavitating flow using the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) method. The coupling of the propeller’s rotation and translation is fulfilled using equations of motion defined for this purpose. The heave motion is simplified as a periodic motion based on a sinusoidal function. The numerical transmission of information from the unsteady flow field is achieved using the overset grid approach. In this manner, the unsteady thrust coefficient and torque coefficient of propellers in different periods of heave motion are analyzed. A comparative study is implemented on the unsteady cavitation performance and wake characteristics of propeller. With the propeller’s heave motion, the flow field non-uniformity constantly changes the load on the propeller during each revolution period and each heaving period, the propeller load and the wake field are closely related to the variation of heave motion period. The results obtained from the numerical simulation are expected to serve as a useful theoretical reference for the numerical analysis of a propeller in a heave motion.     

A three-dimensional wake impingement model and applications on tandem oscillating foils

Potential flow based vortex numerical methods have been widely used in aerodynamics and hydrodynamics. In these methods, vortices shed from lifting bodies are traced by using vortex filaments or dipole panels. When the wake elements encounter a downstream body, such as a rudder behind a propeller or a stator behind a rotor, a treatment is necessary to divert the wake elements to pass by the body. This treatment is vital to make wake simulations realistic and to satisfy the non-penetration condition during wake body interaction. It also helps to avoid pure numerical disturbances such as when a vortex filament or an edge of a dipole panel passes through the collection point of a body element; this is a singularity for induced velocity and it will introduce a large numerical disturbance. This necessary treatment for three-dimensional problems with geometrical complexity has not been found to date. In this study, a wake impingement model was developed to divert wake elements to slip over the body surface, model the vortex/body interaction, and predict forces on fluctuating components. The model was also tested on configurations of oscillating foils in tandem with an existing panel method code. Simulation results with the wake impingement model are shown to be in closer agreement with limited published experimental data than those without the model. With the established wake impingement model, force fluctuations on the after body due to the wake vortex impingement were investigated based on a series of simulations. The series varied several parameters including distance between two foils, oscillating frequency, span, rear foil pitch angle, swap angle and vertical position.     

Laboratory, numerical, and theoretical modeling of the flow in a far wake in a stratified fluid

The far-wake flow past a sphere towed in a fluid with high Reynolds and Froude numbers and with a pycnocline-form salt-density stratification is studied in a laboratory experiment based on particle image velocimetry and in numerical and theoretical modeling. In the configuration under consideration, the axis of sphere towing is located under a pycnocline. Flow parameters, the profiles of density and average velocity, and the initial field of velocity fluctuation in numerical modeling are specified from the data of the laboratory experiment. The fields of fluid velocity at different times and the time dependences of integral parameters of wake flow, such as the average velocity at the axis and the transverse width of the flow, are obtained. The results of numerical modeling are in good qualitative and quantitative agreement with the data of the laboratory experiment. The results of the laboratory experiment and numerical modeling are compared to the predictions of a quasi-linear and quasi-two-dimensional theoretical model. The time evolution of both the average velocity at the axis and the transverse width of the wake is obtained with the model and is in good agreement with the experimental data. The results of numerical modeling also show that, under the effect of velocity fluctuation in the wake, internal waves whose spatial period is equal to the characteristic period of the wake’s vortex structure are excited efficiently in the pycnocline.     

Numerical investigation on the hydrodynamic characteristics of a marine propeller operating in oblique inflow

The hydrodynamic characteristics of a marine propeller operating in oblique inflow are investigated by using CFD method. Two propellers with different geometries are selected as the study subjects. RANS simulation is carried out for the propellers working at a wide range of advance coefficients and incidence angles. The effects of axial inflow and lateral inflow are demonstrated with the hydrodynamic force on the propeller under different working conditions. Based on the obtained flow field details, the hydrodynamic mechanism of propeller operating in oblique inflow is analyzed further. The trailing vortex wake of propeller is highly affected by the lateral inflow, resulting in the deflected development path and the circumferentially non-uniform structure, as well as the enhanced axial velocity in slipstream. Different flow patterns are observed on the propeller blade with the variation of circumferential position. Combined with the computed hydrodynamic forces and pressure distribution on propeller, the mechanism resulting in the increase of propulsive loads and the generation of propeller side force is explored. Finally, a systematic analysis is carried out for the propulsive loads and propeller side force as a function of axial and lateral advance coefficients. The major terms that play a dominant role in the modeling of propulsive loads and propeller side force are determined through the sensitivity analysis. This study provides a deeper insight into the hydrodynamic characteristics of propeller operating in oblique inflow, which is useful to the investigation of propeller performance during ship maneuvers.     

高雷诺数下近壁圆柱绕流数值模拟与分析

近壁圆柱绕流问题在海底悬跨管道的研究中具有重要的意义。在绕流阻力、升力以及海底土壤的耦合作用下,海底管道所发生的移位、悬跨等现象对于海底管道的安全运行构成了很大的威胁。正确预测各种绕流条件下管流之间的作用力是保证油气管道安全的首要任务。海底管道在极端海洋环境条件下的管、流相互作用为高雷诺数绕流问题,处于高雷诺数下的绕流模拟比处于低雷诺数下的绕流模拟要复杂很多,它需要更精细的网格以及合适的湍流模型。此文对处于悬跨状态下的海底管道进行数值研究,给出不同间隙比下海流绕流海底管道的流场结构形态,分析了间隙比对绕流阻力和绕流升力的影响,为进一步研究海底悬跨管道的受力和变形提供载荷边界数据。     

Noise Control Due to the Stator Wake Blade Interaction via Tail Articulation

The biologically inspired method of tail articulation is investigated as a means of reducing tonal noise due to wake deficit blade interaction in underwater vehicles. Experiments are carried out in a water tunnel under typical operating conditions for underwater vehicles. Tail articulation is implemented using a life scale stator model with a hinged flapping tail operating both in free-stream velocities corresponding to Reynolds number in the range 75000 < Re < 300000 and at frequencies up to 30 Hz to investigate the range of Strouhal number 0.0 < St < 0.35. Velocity measurements of the active stator wake are carried out by laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV) and particle image velocimetry (PIV) to investigate the effects of tail articulation on the stator wake. Time-averaged measurements of the stator wake by LDV show that of the tail articulation has a dominant effect on the time mean stator drag. Instantaneous phase-averaged measurements of the stator wake by PIV show a transition in the unsteady stator wake as is increased, from a deflected vortex sheet to a series of rolled up, discrete vortices. Measurements are made of the wake due to both sinusoidal and nonsinusoidal tail motion profiles, which show that significant wake alteration is achieved with tail articulation. A low-order model describing the creation and convection of vorticity by tail articulation is developed which describes wake phenomena observed in LDV and PIV measurements. Finally, a 3-D unsteady propeller simulation using both experimental wake velocity data by PIV and simulated wake velocity data generated with the reduced-order model are used to predict the effect of sinusoidal tail articulation on radiated noise. Results using simulated data indicate that a significant noise alteration is achieved in all cases, and noise reduction of 5-8 dB is achieved in some cases.     

Experimental analysis on the risk of vortex ventilation and the free surface ventilation of marine propellers

The paper presents a discussion of the ventilation inception and air drawing prediction of ships propellers, aiming to predict under what conditions ventilation will happen, and the actual physical mechanism of the ventilation.Three different types of ventilation inception mechanisms are included in our discussion: free surface vortex ventilation, ventilation by sucking down the free surface without forming a vortex as well as ventilation by propeller coming out of the water. Ventilation prediction is based on a series of model tests, where the propeller is tested in different levels of intermittent ventilation. The use of underwater video gives a visual understanding of the ventilation phenomena.Ventilation by vortex formation has analogies with other phenomena, such as the inlet vortex in pump sumps, ground vortex at the inlet of the aircraft engines and the Propeller Hull Vortex Cavitation (PHVC). The paper includes comparison between Propeller Hull Vortex Cavitation (PHVC) and Propeller Free Surface Vortex Ventilation (PFSVV) as well as comparison between PFSVV and vortex formations of aero engines during high power operation near a solid surface.Experimental data based on several different model tests shows the boundary between the vortex forming, non-vortex forming and free surface ventilation flow regimes. For comparison the following parameters, which determined the intensity of the hydrodynamic interaction between the propeller and free surface have been used: propeller load coefficient c_T, tip clearance ratio c/D, propeller submergence ratio h/R, ambient velocity V_i and flow cavitation/ventilation number σ_cav/σ_vent.     

张力腿平台绕流数值模拟分析

在一定来流条件下,张力腿平台(tension leg platform,简称TLP)的立柱后缘出现周期性的交替旋涡脱落,致使立柱受到垂直于来流方向的升力和平行于来流方向的阻力作用,导致TLP产生大幅度往复运动,显著增加平台结构和系泊系统的负载。目前,关于单柱、多柱结构绕流问题的研究较多,但对于TLP绕流特性的研究较少,机理尚存不明确的地方。为研究TLP的绕流力变化情况和流场特征,开展了数值模拟分析。利用计算流体动力学数值模拟软件,基于雷诺平均(RANS)法和分离涡模拟(DES)法对TLP绕流场进行仿真分析,揭示了TLP的绕流特性。结果表明,在3种来流角度和多个折合速度V_r下,TLP绕流的流体力系数存在明显差异,升力系数时域曲线呈现脉动性。TLP的上、下游立柱间存在明显的相互作用,影响了旋涡的形成与发展。TLP的旋涡脱落大多集中在平台固有频率附近,且在V_r=7,来流角度为0°时,升力系数频谱峰值最大,旋涡脱落集中。