A Numerical study for the efficacy of flow injection on the diminution of rudder cavitation

ABSTRACTThe complete avoidance of cavitation, as a result of gap flow between the fixed and movable portion of a horn type rudder system, is difficult. To reduce gap flow, it is a common practice to attach a half round prismatic bar that protrudes beyond the concave surface of the horn facing the gap and laid along the centerplane of the rudder. However the employment of such a device does not always yield satisfactory results. Previously, the authors have shown that a pair of blocking bars, attached on the convex surface of the movable portion, better enhance the blocking ability of gap flow to that of a single centre bar installed on the concave surface. This also circumvents difficulties that might occur in practical applications. In the present study, a series of numerical computations show that flow injected into the gap of a rudder may also block the flow within, without employment of any physical devices, such as a half circular bar. This study also shows that the combination of flow injection and blocking bars may result in the synergic augmentation of blocking efficiency of gap flow, as demonstrated in computations for a three dimensional rudder system.