Ship Hydrodynamics2

Propeller Blade Element Theory

Dr. Adel Banawan

 Ship Hydrodynamics2
Alexandria University

Let us divide the blade into a number of element “blade elements”

Blade elements

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Blade element particulars:

• position (r)
• chord (c)
• pitch angle (φ)
• width (dr)
• area (cdr)
• section type (thickness, camber, lift, and drag data)

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Aerofoil Lift and Drag Data:

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L
CL   f1 ( )
1 / 2 SVR2
D
CD   f 2 ( )
1 / 2 SVR2

Where ρ is the mass density of fluid

S is the area of plan form of section
VR is the velocity of incident flow

The basic data on lift and drag are generally derived from tests
with airfoils of constant cross section in wind tunnels.

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Flow velocities at the blade element:

- In axial direction
- In tangential direction

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Relative Tangential Flow:

r  ar  (1  a)r

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Total resultant relative flow into the blade element:

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Blade velocity triangle:

Top view
VR  V12 1  a   (1  a) 2  2 r 2
2

V1 1  a 
tan  
r 1  a
    V2  V1 (1  a)

 V1 1  a  
    tan 1  
 r 1  a   

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Blade element hydrodynamic forces:

dL
CL 
1 / 2  (cdr )VR2
dL  1 / 2  (cdr ) BVR2C L
dD
CD 
1 / 2  (cdr )VR2
dD  1 / 2  (cdr ) BVR2C D

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Resultant hydrodynamic force on blade element:

dD
tan( ) 
dL
dL  dFR cos 
dD  dFR sin 
dFR  (dL) 2  (dD) 2
VR

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Thrust:

dL
dT  dFR cos(   )  cos(   )
cos
cos(   )
dT  1 / 2  ( Bcdr )VR2C L
cos 
V12 (1  a) 2 cos(   )
dT  1 / 2  ( Bcdr ) C
sin 2 ( ) cos
L

dT V12 (1  a) 2 cos(   )
 1 / 2  ( Bc ) C
sin 2 ( ) cos 
L
dr

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Torque:
dL
dFt  dFR sin(   )  sin(   )
cos 
dL
dQ  dFt r  r sin(   )
cos 
1 sin(   )
dQ  r  ( Bcdr )VR2C L
2 cos 
1 V12 (1  a ) 2 sin(   )
dQ  r  ( Bcdr ) C
sin 2 ( ) cos 
L
2
dQ 1 V12 (1  a ) 2 sin(   )
  ( Bcr ) C
sin 2 ( ) cos 
L
dr 2

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Blade element efficiency:

dTV1

dQ

Substitute for dT and dQ, hence,

(1  a) tan 

(1  a) tan(   )

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Total thrust and total torque:

V12 (1  a) 2 cos(   )
R R
1
T   dT    ( Bc ) C dr
 
2 L
r  rh r  rh
2 sin ( ) cos

V12 (1  a) 2 sin(   )
R R
1
Q   dQ    ( Bcr ) C dr
 
2 L
r  rh r  rh
2 sin ( ) cos

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