Numerical Study of the Scale Effect on Flow Around a Propeller Using the CFD Method

Abstract

This paper presents an investigation of the scale effect on the flow around a propeller using the CFD method. The differences in the numerical setup and the results obtained for the characteristics of an open water propeller are described and analysed in this paper. Moreover, the paper also highlight and analyse the scale effect on differences in flow around the propeller, such as the pressure fields in the cross section, the distributions of the skin friction coefficient and limiting streamlines on the propeller blade, the vortices in the wake of the propeller, and the velocity fields. The differences in the flow around the propeller are more clearly seen when it works under heavy loading conditions, an important finding that can support designers in improving propeller performance, investigating cavitations, etc. at the full scale. The reference propeller used in this study is the benchmark propeller PPTC VP 1304.