Numerical simulations of hydrodynamic loads and structural responses of a Pre-Swirl Stator

Abstract

This paper investigates the effect of different flow models on the Pre-Swirl-Stator structural response from the perspective of a non-existing unified design procedure. Due to viscous effects near the propeller plane, the hydrodynamic solution is calculated by Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Three different models are analysed: without the propeller, with the actuator disk and with the propeller. The main intention of this paper is to clarify the effects of the propeller model on the structural stresses in calm-water and waves which include the ship motion. CFD simulations are performed by means of OpenFOAM, while the structural response is calculated by means of the Finite Element Method (FEM) solver NASTRAN. Calm-water results have shown the inclusion of the propeller necessary from the design perspective, while the wave simulations have shown negligible propeller influence on the resulting stresses arising from the ship motions.

Keywords

• Propeller
• Energy saving device
• Self-propulsion
• Fluid-structure interaction
• CFD-FEM
• OpenFOAM-NASTRAN