DDES of wetted and cavitating marine propeller for CHA underwater noise assessment

In this paper we present results of delayed detached eddy simulation (DDES) and computational hydroacoustics (CHA) simulations of a marine propeller operating in a cavitation tunnel. DDES is carried out in both wetted and cavitating conditions, and we perform the investigation at several propeller loadings. CHA analyses are done for one propeller loading both in wetted and cavitating conditions. The simulations are validated against experiments conducted in the cavitation tunnel. Propeller global forces, local flow phenomena, as well as cavitation patterns are compared to the cavitation tunnel tests. Hydroacoustic sources due to the propeller are evaluated from the flow solution, and corresponding acoustic simulations utilizing an acoustic analogy are made. The propeller wake flow structures are investigated for the wetted and cavitating operating conditions, and the acoustic excitation and output of the same cases are discussed.