Numerical simulation of a model propeller flow

Аuthors

Ragulin I. A.

Central Institute of Aviation Motors named after P.I. Baranov, Moscow, Russia

e-mail: ilya-rag98@mail.ru

Abstract

This paper presents results of numerical simulations of a marine propeller under cavitating conditions in a cavitation tunnel.  The simulation was performed under three different propeller loads. The results are confirmed by experiments conducted in a cavitation tunnel. The international PPTC marine propeller, developed and studied in the Potsdam pool, is considered as an object of research. The diameter of the propeller is 25 cm and the rotation speed was 25 revolutions per second. The integral characteristics, the size of cavities and their development in the wake behind the propeller are compared with experimental data.
Numerical modelling was performed in the Ansys Fluent CFD package using the hybrid RANS/LES method SBES, which is development of previous RANS/LES methods such as DDES or IDDES. The low Reynolds k-ω SST turbulence model is used in the RANS domain. A mixture model is chosen to solve the multiphase flow. Cavitation was modeled using the Schnerr-Sauer model. A computational grid with a dimension of 77 million cells has been constructed. The grid is built in the Ansys Fluent Meshing program and has a combined cell type of polyhedral and hexcore. To better describe the flow near the end vortices and the axial vortex, the grid was adapted according to the q-criterion.
CFD results are in good agreement with experimental data. The relative errors of the efficiency of a marine propeller were 1%, 5.5%, 7% for the pitch ratio J=1.019; J=1.253; J=1.408, respectively. The relative errors of the hydrodynamic characteristics of a marine propeller increase with increasing thread. A comparison of the cavities forms also shows a good agreement between the simulation results and experiment. In the low load mode, the cavitation model used does not accurately describe the flow of cavitation, which leads to greater errors than in the high-load modes. To increase the accuracy of numerical modeling, its recommended to use more complex cavitation models, as well as use more detailed computational grids.

Keywords:

marine propeller, numerical simulation, cavitation simulation, turbulence model k-ω SST

References

1. Reynolds O. The causes of the racing of the engines of screw streamers investigated theoretically and by Experiment. Transactions of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects. 1873. Vol. 14, P. 56-67.
2. Ignatkin Yu.M., Konstantinov S.G. Researches of aerodynamic characteristics of a main rotor helicopter using CFD method. Trudy MAI. 2012. No. 57. (In Russ.). URL: https://trudymai.ru/eng/published.php?ID=30875
3. Ignatkin Yu.M., Konstantinov S.G. Researches aerodynamic characteristics of a profile and blade tips helicopter rotor using CFD methods. Trudy MAI. 2012. No. 57. (In Russ.). URL: https://trudymai.ru//eng/published.php?ID=30874
4. Ignatkin Yu.M., Makeev P.V., Shomov A.I., Konstantinov S.G. Computational Modeling of Vortex Ring State Modes of Helicopter Main Rotor at the basis of free wake vortical model. Trudy MAI. 2012. No. 59. (In Russ.). URL: https://trudymai.ru/eng/published.php?ID=34410
5. Tarasov A.L. Flow characteristics in the operational range angles of attack and Mach numbers numerical investigation of helicopter airfoils. Trudy MAI. 2023. No. 131. (In Russ.). URL: https://trudymai.ru/eng/published.php?ID=175919. DOI: 10.34759/trd-2023-131-13
6. Sha M., Agul'nik A.B., Yakovlev A.A. Analysis of mathematical modeling results of subsonic flow inleakage at subsonic profiles. Trudy MAI. 2017. No. 93. (In Russ.). URL: https://trudymai.ru/eng/published.php?ID=80297
7. Pustoshnyi A.V., Borusevich V.O., Magarovskii V.V., Taranov A.E. The relationship between computational and experimental methods in modern ship hydrodynamics. Trudy Krylovskogo gosudarstvennogo nauchnogo tsentra. 2020. No. 2 (392). P. 36-50. (In Russ.). DOI: 10.24937/2542-2324-2020-2-392-36-50
8. M. Shur, P.R. Spalart, M. Strelets, A. Travin. Detached-Eddy Simulation of an Airfoil at High Angle of Attack. In 4th Int. Symposium on Eng. Turb. Modeling and Experiments, Corsica, France. May 1999. DOI: 10.1016/B978-008043328-8/50064-3
9. M.L. Shur, P.R. Spalart, M.K. Strelets, A.K. Travin. A Hybrid RANS-LES Approach With Delayed DES and Wall-Modelled LES Capabilities. International Journal of Heat and Fluid Flow. December 2008. P. 1638-1649. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheatfluidflow.2008.07.001
10. M.S. Gritskevich, A.V. Garbaruk, J. Schutze, F.R. Menter. Development of DDES and IDDES Formulations for the k-ω Shear Stress Transport Model. Flow Turbulence and Combustion. 2012. No. 88 (3). P.  431–449. DOI: 10.1007/s10494-011-9378-4
11. P.R. Spalart, S. Deck, M.L. Shur, K.D. Squires, M.K. Strelets, A. Travin. A new version of detached-eddy simulation, resistant to ambiguous grid densities. Theoretical and Computational Fluid Dynamics. 2006. No. 20. P. 181–195. DOI: 10.1007/s00162-006-0015-0
12. ANSYS FLUENT. Theory Guide. Release 2024R2. 4.14.2 P. 115-116. ANSYS, Inc. 2024
13. Heinke H.J. Potsdam Propeller Test Case (PPTC). Cavitation Tests with the Model Propeller VP1304. In SVA Potsdam Model Basin Report No. 3753. Schiffbau-Versuchsanstalt Potsdam GmbH: Potsdam, Germany, 2011.
14. Barkmann U., Heinke H.J., Lübke L. Potsdam propeller test case (PPTC). Test case description // In Proceedings of the Second International Symposium on Marine Propulsors (smp’11). Hamburg, Germany, 15–17 June 2011. URL: https://www.marinepropulsors.com/proceedings/2011/II-1_Barkmann.pdf
15. Menter F. Influence of freestream values on k-ω turbulence model predictions. AIAA Journal. 1992. No. 30. P. 1657-1659. DOI: 10.2514/3.11115
16. M.L. Shur, M.K. Strelets, A.K. Travin, P.R. Spalart. Turbulence Modeling in Rotating and Curved Channels: Assessing the Spalart-Shur Correction. AIAA Journal. 2000. No. 38 (5). P. 784-792. DOI: 10.2514/2.1058
17. M. Kato, B.E. Launder. The modelling of turbulent flow around stationary and vibrating square cylindersn. Ninth Symposium on Turbulent Shear Flows. Kyoto, Japan: August 16-18, 1993.
18. ANSYS FLUENT. Theory Guide. Release 2024R2. 4.14.2 P. 619-637. ANSYS, Inc. 2024
19. G.H. Schnerr, J. Sauer. Physical and Numerical Modeling of Unsteady Cavitation Dynamics. In Fourth International Conference on Multiphase Flow. New Orleans, USA. 2001.
20. B.P. Leonard. The ULTIMATE conservative difference scheme applied to unsteady one-dimensional advection. Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering. 1991. No. 88. P. 17–74. 
21. S.V. Patankar. Numerical Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow. Hemisphere, Washington, DC. 1980. 197 p.
22. B.P. Leonard, S. Mokhtari. ULTRA-SHARP Nonoscillatory Convection Schemes for High-Speed Steady Multidimensional Flow. NASATM1-2568 (ICOMP-90-12). NASA Lewis Research Center. 1990.
23. B. Van Leer. Toward the Ultimate Conservative Difference Scheme. IV. A Second Order Sequel to Godunov’s Method. Journal of Computational Physics. 1979. No. 32. P. 101–136. 
24. ANSYS FLUENT. Theory Guide. Release 2024R2. 4.14.2 P. 943-944. ANSYS, Inc. 2024.
25. Barkmann U. Potsdam Propeller Test Case (PPTC). Open water tests with the model propeller VP1304. In SVA Potsdam Model Basin Report No. 3752. Schiffbau-Versuchsanstalt Potsdam GmbH: Potsdam, Germany, 2011.
26. Heinke H.J. Potsdam Propeller Test Case (PPTC). Cavitation Tests with the Model Propeller VP1304. In SVA Potsdam Model Basin Report No. 3753. Schiffbau-Versuchsanstalt Potsdam GmbH: Potsdam, Germany, 2011
27. Muscari R., Di Mascio A., Verzicco, R. Modeling of vortex dynamics in the wake of a marine propeller. Computers & Fluids. 2013. No. 73. P. 65–79. DOI: 10.1016/j.compfluid.2012.12.003
28. Guilmineau E., Deng G., Leroyer A., Queutey P., Visonneau M., Wackers J. Influence of the Turbulence Closures for the Wake Prediction of a Marine Propeller. In Proceedings of the Fourth International Symposium on Marine Propulsors, smp’15, Austin, TX, USA, 2015.
29. Viitanen V.M., Siikonen T. Numerical simulation of cavitating marine propeller flows. In Proceedings of the 9th National Conference on Computational Mechanics (MekIT’17), Trondheim, Norway, 11–12 May 2017. P. 385–409.
30. Chase N., Carrica P.M. Submarine propeller computations and application to self-propulsion of DARPA Suboff. Ocean Engineering. 2013. No. 60. P. 68–80. DOI: 10.1016/j.oceaneng.2012.12.029

Download