Numerical Predictions of Crashback Propeller Flow and Loadings

Paper in proceeding, 2008

Large eddy simulation is carried out on propeller model 4381 in crashback to capture the unsteady character of the ring vortex and predict the dynamic forces acting on the blades. The propeller model used in this study has been experimentally investigated by Jessup et al (2006). The computations were carried out in Fluent version6.3.26 using a sliding mesh model. The computed averaged values of the forces and their corresponding standard deviation values showed a good agreement with the measured data. The distributions of the averaged axial-velocity at two measurements planes showed similar patterns for both numerical and experimental results. Furthermore, spectral analysis of the computed side forces and cross flow revealed a presence of a low-frequency peak characterizing the dynamics of the vortex. The computed value of this low-frequency agreed well with the measured value in experiments. This study has been carried out within the Rolls-Royce University Technology Centre at Chalmers University.