• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.59 no.1
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• pp.65-73
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• 2023

This study analyzed the duct characteristics of hubless rim-driven propeller (RDP) used in underwater robots. In the previous study, flow visualization experiments were performed with an advancing ratio of 0.2 to 1. The vortex at the front of the duct increased in strength while maintaining its size as the advancing ratio decreased. Therefore, it is necessary to study the optimization of the duct shape. Conventional propeller thrusters use acceleration/deceleration ducts to increase their efficiency. However, unlike conventional propellers, it is impossible to apply to airfoil acceleration/deceleration ducts due to the RDP structure. In this study, duct wake flow characteristics, thrust force, and efficiency according to the duct shape of RDP were analyzed using numerical analysis techniques. Duct design is limited and six duct shapes were designed. As a result, an optimized duct shape was designed considering duct wake flow characteristics, thrust force, and efficiency. The shape that the outlet width of the RDP was kept constant until the end of the duct showed higher thrust force and efficiency.

• Ocean Systems Engineering
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.373-392
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• 2021

The present paper purposes a numerical evaluation of the Thai Long-Tail Boat propeller (TLTBP) performance by without and with propeller boss cap fins (PBCF) in full-scale operating straight shaft condition in the first. Next, those are applied to inclined shaft conditions. The actual TLTBP has defined an inclined shaft propeller including the high rotational speed, therefore vortex from the propeller boss and boss cap (hub vortex) have been generated very much. The PBCF designs are considered to weaken of vortex behind the propeller boss which makes the saving energy for the propulsion systems. The blade sections of PBCF developed from the original TLTBP blade shape. The integrative for the TLTBP and the PBCF is analyzed to increase the performance using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The computational results of propeller performance are thoroughly compared between without and with PBCF. Moreover, the effects of each PBCF component are computed to influence the TLTBP performance. The fluid flows around the propeller blades, propeller boss, boss cap, and vortex have been investigated in terms of pressure distribution and wake-fields to verify the increasing efficiency of propulsion systems.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.36-43
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• 2000

In this paper a Vortex Lattice Method is used to predict the performances of a contra-Rotating Propeller. Greeley and Kerwin's(1982) wake model is adopted instead of the exact trailing vortex geometry. The interaction of the two propellers is treated by the sense that the induction of one propeller upon the other propeller is averaged in the circumferential direction . Two single propellers (DTRC 4119 & DTRC 4842) are chosen and compared with the experimental and other numerical results published. Then the computational results for three CRP's (4-0-4 CRP(DTRC 3686+DTRC 3687A) 4-0-5 CRP(DTRC 3686+DTRC 3849) & DTRC CRT(DTRC 5067+DTRC 5068) are compared with the experimental and numerical results published. The interaction of both propellers by the change of inflow velocity and circulation of each propeller is investigated.

• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.294-306
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• 2019

On the basis of the Computational Fluid Dynamics technique (CFD) combined with the overlap grid method, this paper establishes a numerical simulation method to study the problem of ice-propeller interaction in viscous flow and carries out a simulation forecast of the hydrodynamic performance of an ice-class propeller and flow characteristics when in the proximity of milling-shape ice (i.e., an ice block with a groove cut by a high-speed revolving propeller). We use a trimmed mesh in the entire calculation domain and use the overlap grid method to transfer information between the domains of propeller rotation calculation and ice-surface computing. The grid is refined in the narrow gap between the ice and propeller to ensure the accuracy of the flow field. Comparison with the results of the experiment reveals that the error of the hydrodynamic performance is within 5%. This confirms the feasibility of the calculation method. In this paper, we calculate the exciting force of the propeller, analyze the time domain of the exciting force, and obtain the curve of the frequency domain using a Fourier transform of the time-domain curve of the exciting force. The existence of milling-shape ice before the propeller can greatly disturb the wake flow field. Unlike in open water, the propeller bearing capacity shows a downward trend in three stages, and fluctuating pressure is more disordered near the ice.

• Journal of Ship and Ocean Technology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.15-25
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• 1997

A series of towing tank tests were carried out for 18 full ship models of high block coefficients. The resistance coefficients and wake distribution at the propeller plane were measured and carefully examined. Regression analysis was employed to find out the relationships with the hull form parameters. Equations for wave resistance coefficient, form factor, and nominal wake are given. A harmonic analysis of measured wake was performed to look into the influence of the local stern shape on the magnitude of fluctuating wake components at three different radii. The amplitude of wake harmonics was also expressed by regression quations. It was found that the regression formulas were very useful in estimating resistance and circumferential wake characteristics of full ship models. It was also considered that the formulas presented in this paper could be utilized in the hull form improvement in a preliminary design.

• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.589-601
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• 2016

The hybrid grid was adopted and numerical prediction analysis of propeller unsteady bearing force considering free surface was performed for mode and full-scale KCS hull-propeller-rudder system by employing RANS method and VOF model. In order to obtain the propeller velocity under self-propulsion point, firstly, the numerical simulation for self-propulsion test of full-scale ship is carried out. The results show that the scale effect of velocity at self-propulsion point and wake fraction is obvious. Then, the transient two-phase flow calculations are performed for model and full-scale KCS hull-propeller-rudder systems. According to the monitoring data, it is found that the propeller unsteady bearing force is fluctuating periodically over time and full-scale propeller's time-average value is smaller than model-scale's. The frequency spectrum curves are also provided after fast Fourier transform. By analyzing the frequency spectrum data, it is easy to summarize that each component of the propeller bearing force have the same fluctuation frequency and the peak in BFP is maximum. What's more, each component of full-scale bearing force's fluctuation value is bigger than model-scale's except the bending moment coefficient about the Y-axis.

• Journal of the Society of Naval Architects of Korea
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.1-10
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• 2002

Hull-propeller-rudder interactions are studied by the iterative computational procedures. Hull effects on the propeller are reflected through the effective velocities computed by the vortex ring method which used the measured nominal wake as input data. A potential based panel method has been developed to solve the propeller-rudder interactions using the obtained effective velocities. Steady flow characteristics around the rudder surface can be obtained by computing the induced velocities on the rudder by the propeller and vice versa are computed by the iterative manner until the converged solutions are obtained. Flow characteristics around the propeller and the rudder are measured by Laser Doppler Velocimetry(L.D.V.) in large cavitation tunnel at Samsung Heavy industries. The gap flow model is adopted to solve the characteristics of the horn rudder. Numerical results are compared with the experimental values and the computed velocity fields and pressure distributions with rudder angle on the horn rudder surface show good agreement with measured ones in large cavitation tunnel.

• Journal of the Society of Naval Architects of Korea
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.266-274
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• 2016

Many researchers have been trying to improve the propulsion efficiency of a propeller. In this study, the numerical analysis is carried out for the POW(Propeller Open Water test) performance of a propeller equipped with an energy saving device called PHVC(Propeller Hub Vortex Control). PHVC is aimed to control the propeller hub vortex behind the propeller so that the rotational kinetic energy loss can be reduced. The unsteady Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes(URANS) equations are assumed as the governing flow equations and are solved by using a commercial CFD(Computational Fluid Dynamics) software, where SST k-ω model is selected for turbulence closure. The computed characteristic values, thrust, torque and propulsion efficiency coefficients for the target propeller with and without PHVC and the local flows in the propeller wake region are validated by the model test results of KRISO LCT(Large Cavitation Tunnel). It is concluded from the present numerical results that CFD can be a good promising method in the assessment of the hydrodynamic performance of PHVC in the design stage.

• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.29-38
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• 2009

A ship's screw-propeller produces thrust by rotation and, at the same time, generates rotational flow behind the propeller. This rotational flow has no contribution to the generation of thrust, but instead produces energy loss. By recovering part of the lost energy in the rotational flow, therefore, it is possible to improve the propulsion efficiency. The contra-rotating propeller (CRP) system is the representing example of such devices. Unfortunately, however, neither a design method nor a full-scale performance prediction procedure for the CRP system has been well established yet. The authors have long performed studies on the CRP system, and some of the results from the authors' studies shall be presented and discussed.

• Ocean Systems Engineering
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.329-344
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• 2017

This paper introduces a BEM/RANS interactive scheme to predict the contra-rotating propeller (CRP) performance. In this scheme, the forward propeller and the aft propeller are handled by two separate BEM models while the interactions between them are achieved by coupling them with a RANS solver. By using the body force field and mass source field to represent the propeller in the RANS model, the number of RANS cells and the number of required RANS iterations reduce significantly. The method provides an efficient way to predict the effective wake, the steady/unsteady propeller forces, etc. The BEM/RANS interactive scheme is first applied to a CRP in both an axisymmetric manner and a non-axisymmetric manner. Results are shown in good agreement with the experimental data in moderate to high advance ratios. It is proved that the difference between the axisymmetric scheme and the non-axisymmetric scheme mainly comes from the non-axisymmetric bodies. It is also found that the error is larger at lower advance ratios. Possible explanations are given. Finally, some additional cases are tested which justifies that the non-axisymmetric BEM/RANS scheme is able to handle a podded CRP working at given inclination angles.