Numerical study on the hydrodynamic characteristics of a propeller operating beneath a free surface

The results of a numerical study on the performance of a propeller operating near a free surface are presented. The numerical simulations were performed for the various advance coefficients and the submergence depths of the model propeller. The effects of the model propeller size were investigated using two different model propeller sizes for all cases. The wave pattern of the free surface and the flow structure around the propeller as well as the hydrodynamic characteristics of the propeller were investigated through simulation results. The thrust and torque fluctuated and the trajectory of the tip vortex was distorted due to the interaction with the free surface. The wave pattern of the free surface was related to the tip vortex of the propeller. The decreases in thrust and torque at the small model propeller were greater than those of the large model propeller. The reduction rate of the thrust and torque increased with the advance coefficient.