Numerical Simulation of Propeller Performance with an Inclined Shaft Arrangement

A propeller in an inclined shaft arrangement has been simulated using a Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes solver. The commercially available codes Ansys Fluent and IcemCFD were used for the numerical simulation. The method has been demonstrated through a series of simulations advancing in complexity. The simulations begin with steady-state, single blade calculations and advance to fully unsteady, full 360 deg domain calculations. Each simulation is supported through comparison with experimental data. This report describes in detail the full process used for the simulation of a propeller. Meshing techniques, solver settings, and post-processing quantities are all examined. Comparisons are made for computational vs. experimental data and for computational data sets at differing conditions. These simulations have demonstrated existing propeller modeling capabilities and further developed capabilities towards the modeling of a ship performing a maneuver. Further study will be conducted by coupling the propeller domain with a rudder domain and examining the interaction between the two components.