Investigation into the Impact of Propellers on the Rudder Efficiency of Ships during Steering Operations

LiBin Du; Zhen Zhu; Aleksander Zuev; LiXun Hou; YunLi Nie; ChengGang Wang; ZiHao Zhang

LiBin Du College of Ocean Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technolo-gy, Qingdao 266590
Zhen Zhu College of Ocean Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technolo-gy, Qingdao 266590
Aleksander Zuev Institute of Automation and Control Processes FEB RAS, Vladivostok, Russia
LiXun Hou College of Ocean Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technolo-gy, Qingdao 266590
YunLi Nie College of Ocean Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technolo-gy, Qingdao 266590
ChengGang Wang College of Ocean Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technolo-gy, Qingdao 266590
ZiHao Zhang College of Ocean Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technolo-gy, Qingdao 266590

Keywords: Marine Rudder, Propeller-rudder system, CFD, Hydrodynamic performance.

Abstract

In order to observe the influence of the wake behind the propeller on the rudder, this paper conducts an interference experiment on the propeller-rudder system using the B4-55 propeller and the NACA0020 marine rudder, and analyzes the hydrodynamic characteristics of the rudder behind the propeller wake. The computational domain is divided into a rotational domain and a fluid domain, and the domain is discretized using cut-cell meshes. The discrete equations are solved using the model. The rotation motion of the propeller is simulated by using the slip grid. Data information is transferred through the interface to complete the hydrodynamic performance simulation of the propeller system. This paper analyzes the hydrodynamic performance of marine rudders under different rudder angles, and explores the influence of the propeller on the resistance, lift and limit rudder angle of the rudder. The distribution characteristics of the velocity field and pressure field in the computational domain were analyzed.