Detached eddy simulation of blade-pod interactions

Abstract

For the tractor type podded propulsor there is a strong interaction between

propeller wake and pod housing, which would cause fluctuation of pod housing forces, even lead to cavitation on pod housing. In this paper, the DES model is employed to simulate the interaction between propeller blade wake and the pod housing for a puller-type podded propulsor. The DES simulation results are compared with those from the RANS simulations using the same grid set. It is shown that propeller and propulsor performances obtained by the two methods are quite similar, however, turbulence model and grid density have a great effect on the average and unsteady fluctuation of pod housing lateral force. Stronger vortexes after propeller are simulated by DES model and fine grid. Especially, at downstream of strut and pod, vortex structures of DES model are more complex, and stronger flow separation happens

at the end of strut, cause larger pressure fluctuation near the end of the strut.