Propeller Optimisation Considering Sheet Cavitation and Hull Interaction

Paper in proceeding, 2011

This paper presents an optimisation of a propeller blade with the propeller operating in behind conditions and considering sheet cavitation. A genetic optimisation algorithm is used with multiple objectives considered: the efficiency is maximized while the propeller induced pressure pulses are minimized. The blade design is constrained surveying cavity occurrence predicted from a vortex lattice method. In this investigation the effect of the propeller on the flow field around the stern of the ship is taken into account by an iterative update of the effective wake, computed using a zonal approach for the hull flow simulation. The chosen optimal propeller display reduced pressure pulses and cavitation extent while maintaining the efficiency of the original design.