Numerical Analysis of Marine Propulsor Using Coupled BEMT/RANS Method

Abstract

Hydrodynamic analysis of the marine propulsors with complex geometry such as podded drive systems, ducted propellers, and waterjet systems are more complicated than conventional propeller systems. This fact has caused the usage and development of numerical methods and techniques. The hybrid method to couple the Blade Element Momentum Theory (BEMT) with Reynolds-Averaged Navier Stokes method (RANS) is a powerful tool to calculate the hydrodynamic characteristics of marine propulsors with rotating and fix parts. The main purpose of this paper is developing a BEM/RANS coupled method and using it for numerical simulation of podded drive systems. In this approach, the flow around propeller is simulated by BEMT and its effects are substituted in RANS method by a set of equivalent forces which called body force. Then the flow around the fixed parts of propulsors are modelled by RANS solver. The results include the propeller thrust, the propeller torque, and the axial force. The results obtained by coupled method are compared to and verified by the experimental data.

Keywords

• marine propulsor
• blade element momentum theory
• rans method
• coupled method