Propellers and Propulsion: Kul-24.3200 Introduction of Marine Hydrodynamics

Propellers and
propulsion
Kul-24.3200 Introduction of Marine Hydrodynamics
Aalto University 02/11/2015 Introduction of Marine Hydrodynamics 1

Content of the course
• Resistance
• Propulsion
• Introduction, Momentum theory on propeller action
• Screw propeller
• Propeller-hull interaction
• Early design of a propeller
• Propeller – main engine interaction
• Stopping, accelerating and backing properties
• Propeller cavitation
• Special types of propulsors
• Afterbody form of a ship
• Ship dynamics
Introduction of Marine Hydrodynamics 2

30 Oct: Introduction of Cavitation



Propeller cavitation: Summary of the
previous lecture
• What does cavitation mean?

• When does it develops?
• What is cavitation number?
Introduction of Marine Hydrodynamics Aalto University 6

Propeller caviation
Additional reading
• Matusiak J (2010) Laivan propulsio. M-176. Chapter 8
• Matusiak J (2008) Short introduction to Ship Resistance and
Propulsion. Section 5.10
• Lewis E.V., editor (1988) Principles of Naval Architecture, Second
revision. Volume II. SNAME. Chapter 7. Available in Knovel.

Propeller cavitation
Related exercises
Exercise 5: Task 3 (deadline: 09 Nov.)

• Estimate maximum thrust of the propeller using Burrill’s curves
• Exercise 8
• Select a propeller for the ship that you design

Outline: Propeller cavitation
• Types of propeller cavitation
• Effect of propeller geometry on the cavitation

• Blade area ratio
• Pitch
• Shape of the hydrofoil
• Effect of the cavitation on the performance of the propeller
• Secondary effects of a cavitating propeller
• Evaluation


• Pitch
• Evaluation

Types of propeller cavitation
PNA Lecture notes
Categories of hydrodynamic
cavitation: *
• Travelling *
• Fixed
• Vortex
• Vibratory
Classification according to the physical
nature of the propeller cavitation
• Sheet* *
• Bubble *
• Cloud *
• Tip vortex *
• Hub-vortex *

Sheet cavitation
• Glassy thin layer of vapour attached to blade.
• If it not changing rapidly with blade angle Ѳ,
it does not cause much harm.
• Unsteady volume variations cause varying
pressures and vibration problems.
• Starts normally at the leading edge,
where the pressure as the minimum value.

Sheet cavitation
Sheet cavitation on the suction side Super-cavitation

Bubble or cloud cavitation
• Is created as a result of unsteadiness

of sheet cavitation or of a strong
turbulence.
• Cavitation bubbles pass into a high
ambient pressure region where they
disintegrate
• This results in high valued and rapid
pressure peaks that cause noise and
erosion of the blade material

Bubble or cloud cavitation

Tip-vortex cavitation
• At the tip and at the root of propeller blade, tip vortices are formed
• If they are sufficiently strong, they start to cavitate, especially for a
blade close to top position
• Root cavitation occurs seldom because of deep submergence (high
hydrostatic pressure)
• If it occurs it causes much harm in a form of erosion

Tip-vortex and hub cavitation

Pressure side cavitation
Note: Cavitation occurs normally at

suction side
CPP
• When revolutions are kept high
and pitch is low.
• Angles of attack may get negative values, especially in a tip region
• As a result flow accelerates strongly
• Strong and narrow low pressure peak at the pressure side
• Unsteady cavitation and bubble cavitation occur.

Types of cavitation and flow parameters
• Cavitation depends strongly on hydrofoil loading and on hydrostatic pressure
• Hydrofoil loading is well represent by angle of attack αe
• Propeller loading: advance number J
• Static pressure related to stagnation pressure: cavitation number σ.
Pressure side cavitation
Suction side cavitation
Cavitation free region

Cavitation free region
Tip-vortex cavitation
Suction side cavitation
Pressure side cavitation Collapse of thrust


• Pitch
• Evaluation

Effect of propeller geometry
Parameters, that affect the dynamic pressure
• Dynamic pressure is related directly to Vr2.
• Rule of thumb for maximum tip vortex
velocity: 35 m/s
• Biggest effect
• Propeller blade area
• Pitch

Blade area ratio

• Initial values can be obtained from
• Criteria of Burrill
• Keller’s equation

Blade area ratio: Burrill

• Non-dimensional thrust
compared to the
stagnation pressure
• If the projected surface area is

not known

Blade area ratio

Pitch
Propeller pitch selected on the basis of model test series characteristics
• These were conducted in atmospheric condition with an aim of maximum efficiency
• As a result pitch spanwise distribution is constant
• These kind of propellers are used very seldom
In practice
• In ship propellers pitch is reduced by 15% at root (Phub/P0.7 = 0.85), that is the region
of decelerated flow
• To secure good vibration and noise properties, pitch is reduced at the tip as well
• Big reduction of pitch at tip reduces propeller efficiency
• Final propeller design is ensured by lifting-line and/or –surface computations
CPP
• Easily noise and erosion due to cavitation if the pitch is significantly reduced and
revolutions high

Shape of the hydrofoil
In old times
• Hydrofoil was of the same shape as airofoil
• Typically used shape was NACA-four digit –
airfoil which had poor cavitation properties
• Strong low pressure peak at the leading edge
Better option
• So-called NACA a = 0.8 mean line (modified) –
airfoil
• Pressure is distributed more evenly


• Pitch
• Evaluation

Effect on the performance of propeller
• Beginning of the cavitation
• Not much effect on the open water characteristics of the propeller
• When substantial part of the blades are covered by sheet cavitation
• First: effect on the thrust
• Later: effect also on the torque
• As thrust decreases faster,

the efficiency decreases
• Cavitation does not affect
significantly the maximum efficiency
of the propeller
• The effect depends upon propeller
loading (J) and cavitation number σ
• Strong cavitation an increase of
revolutions results in a decrease
of thrust and torque


• Pitch
• Evaluation

Secondary effects of cavitation


Power spectrum of the pressure caused by the propeller
• Up to tens of kHz
• Blade frequency fb = Z∙n

Rotation of the blades

Changing thickness of the hydrofoil

Changes in the volume of
the sheet cavitation

Collapse of the cavitation
bubbles



Effect of propeller skew on vibration excitation
• The propeller blade with no skew (on the left) meets wake peak
simultaneously at each radius
• Skew (right figure) smoothens the blade entrance in the decelerated
flow region
• This decreases the time derivate of cavitation volume and decreases
induced pressures

Effect of propeller skew on vibration excitation
• Cavitation model tests: how the introduction of blade skew reduce the
propeller excitation




• Pitch
• Evaluation

Evaluation
Relevant for the evaluation of the propeller-induced pressure
• Apart pressures, structural properties of a ship matter when judging vibration
level
• Pressure is at maximum in the very vicinity of a propeller
• Different pressure expected and required for different ship types
• The presented values should
be treated cautiously
• based on literature and
Matusiak’s experience
(his own words: old and
somewhat obsolete)

Evaluation
Three categories of methods
• Model tests
• Theoretical methods
• Approximate methods

Evaluation
Model tests
• The most reliable
• Conducted in a cavitation tunnel or in a underpressurized towing tank.
• Inaccuracy of the blade freq. component approx. 30-50%
• Noise predicted with a 5 dB accuracy
• Expensive and slow to conduct
• Pressures measured in abt 20 points.
• Not always sufficient for vibration analysis

Evaluation
Theoretical models of propeller induced pressures
• Difficult to predict by the theoretical means
• Difficult model of an unsteady cavitation
• Despite of it inaccuracy is usually satisfactory
• The best of the methods predict pressures with 30% - 100 % inaccuracy.
• Noise evaluation within 10 dB
• Theoretical computations are cheap and fast to conduct
• Pressures can be evaluated on a large area

Evaluation
Approximate methods to evaluate induced pressures
• Based on regression analysis
• Same type as Holtrop’s method for resistance/propulsion evaluation
• Quite inaccurate
• Inaccuracy of 500% is not an exception
• Easy to use
• Combined with a reference technique may be a powerful tool
• Ducted propellers difficult to judge

Evaluation
Approximate methods to evaluate induced pressures
Holden’s method
• The most popular one.
• Based on the measured data of 72 ships.
• Enables approximating
• the magnitude and the distribution of the pressure caused by the propeller.
• Frequencies: Blade frequency and 2 * blade frequency
• Vibratory level of the ship.
• Given: Parameters that the method needs and the limits on the allowed values
of these parameters. Do not use it the case does not fulfil the limits!
• Does not take into account the skew. If skew is significant, apply another
method for its effect (see earlier).
• Final pressure: the result of Holden multiplied by FS.

Evaluation
When is the wake smooth enough? (BSRA criteria)
Criterion 1
• Maximum value of the wave when and
Criterion 2
• Maximum value of the whole wake

Evaluation
When is the wake smooth
enough? (BSRA criteria)
Criterion 3
• The width of the top of the wake:

Evaluation
When is the wake smooth enough? (BSRA criteria)
Criterion 4 Criterion 5

Summary
• List and describe types of cavitation
• How do you take into account the cavitation in the design of the
propeller?
• How does the cavitation affect the performance of the propeller?
• What are the secondary effects of the cavitation?
• How can you evaluate the cavitation?

References
• Matusiak J (2010) Laivan kulkuvastus. M-289. Available in

Noppa
• Matusiak J (2013) Slides Propulsion ENG 3. Available in
Noppa
• Principles of Naval Architecture, Volume II, Chapter 7.
Available in Knovel

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Propellers and

Aalto University 02/11/2015 Introduction of Marine Hydrodynamics 1

Introduction of Marine Hydrodynamics 2

Introduction of Marine Hydrodynamics 3

Introduction of Marine Hydrodynamics 4

Introduction of Marine Hydrodynamics 5

• What does cavitation mean?

Introduction of Marine Hydrodynamics Aalto University 6

Introduction of Marine Hydrodynamics Aalto University 7

Exercise 5: Task 3 (deadline: 09 Nov.)

Introduction of Marine Hydrodynamics Aalto University 8

• Effect of propeller geometry on the cavitation

• Effect of the cavitation on the performance of the propeller

• Secondary effects of a cavitating propeller

Introduction of Marine Hydrodynamics 9

• Effect of propeller geometry on the cavitation

• Effect of the cavitation on the performance of the propeller

• Secondary effects of a cavitating propeller

Introduction of Marine Hydrodynamics 10

Introduction of Marine Hydrodynamics Aalto University 11

Introduction of Marine Hydrodynamics Aalto University 12

Sheet cavitation on the suction side Super-cavitation

Introduction of Marine Hydrodynamics Aalto University 13

• Is created as a result of unsteadiness

Introduction of Marine Hydrodynamics Aalto University 14

Introduction of Marine Hydrodynamics Aalto University 15

Introduction of Marine Hydrodynamics Aalto University 16

Introduction of Marine Hydrodynamics Aalto University 17

Note: Cavitation occurs normally at

Introduction of Marine Hydrodynamics Aalto University 18

Cavitation free region

Suction side cavitation

Pressure side cavitation Collapse of thrust

• Effect of propeller geometry on the cavitation

• Effect of the cavitation on the performance of the propeller

• Secondary effects of a cavitating propeller

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Blade area ratio

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Blade area ratio: Burrill

• If the projected surface area is

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Blade area ratio

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• Effect of propeller geometry on the cavitation

• Effect of the cavitation on the performance of the propeller

• Secondary effects of a cavitating propeller

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• As thrust decreases faster,

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• Effect of propeller geometry on the cavitation

• Effect of the cavitation on the performance of the propeller

• Secondary effects of a cavitating propeller

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