International Conference on Computational and Experimental Marine Hydrodynamics

MARHY 2014
3-4 December 2014, Chennai, India.
ABSTRACT

This project work is an effort towards computational fluid dynamics simulation of ship in bare hull
condition and with the propeller working to study hull propeller interaction. Geometric Modeling includes
modeling of ship and propeller in ANSYS ICEM. Steady State simulation is carried out with STAR-CCM+
CFD solver which is based on Finite Volume Method (FVM). Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a
branch of Fluid Dynamics which provides a cost-effective means of simulating real flows, heat transfer, and
other related physical processes by solving mathematical model of the ReynoldsAveraged NavierStokes
(RANS) equations. This numerical approach involves discretizing the spatial domain into finite control
volumes using a mesh. The governing equations of mass and momentum are integrated over the control
volume, such that the relevant quantities are conserved. Turbulence flow is assumed in the simulation.
Numerical results obtained from analysis are compared with experimental results.
1.

OPEN WATER TEST OF PROPELLER

Geometry of NACA profile is transformed for required pitch and circular shape to obtain cylindrical
sections with varying pitch along radial direction for propeller. Modeling of domain consists of outer
cylindrical surface, inlet and outlet. Rotating Reference frame has been used for steady-state analysis. The
reference frame is assigned to cylindrical fluid region. Absolute zero tangential velocity is assigned for outer
wall and nozzle, for these boundaries to remain stationary w.r.t. rotating propeller. Mesh of different cell
sizes is generated and mesh dependency study is performed. RPM is kept constant and inlet velocity is
varied for various advance coefficients ranging 0 to 0.9. The comparison of experimental and numerical
thrust is given in table 1 below.
S. No.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Advance coefficient Total thrust Propeller + nozzle N

Total thrust Propeller + nozzle
(J) (m/s)
(Experimental)
N (CFD)
0
31.44
34.23
0.05
29.15
28.03
0.1
26.65
22.24
0.15
21.25
19.68
0.25
18.9
20.2
Table 1: Propeller + nozzle thrust in open water

2. CFD ANALYSIS OF HULL RESISTANCE

As ship is symmetric in port and starboard sides, half ship geometry is used for the analysis. The prism layer
model is used near surface of hull, in order to improve accuracy of viscous flow solution. Steady model was
chosen for analysis. The Volume of Fluid model was used to simulate behaviour of two fluids, air and
water. As these two fluids were of different phases, Eulerian Multiphase Model was used. The effect of
gravity was simulated using the Gravity Model. Simulation of free surface is made possible by choosing
the VOF Waves option. The turbulence effects are simulated by selecting the K-Epsilon Turbulence in
turbulence model. The boundaries of fluid region are velocity inlet, symmetry, top, bottom, and port side
wall and pressure outlet. The velocity and pressure boundary condition are given as field function of surface
wave. Inlet Velocity is given as velocity of surface wave and pressure boundary condition as Hydrostatic
pressure of surface wave. And Port side, top and bottom boundaries are given as wall with slip condition.
S. No.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Froude no. (Fn)

0.2
0.22
0.24
0.26
0.28

Resistance N (Experimental)
9.61
11.82
15.89
21.43
30.41
Table 2: Hull resistance

2014: The Royal Institution of Naval Architects and IIT Madras

Resistance N (CFD)
13.40
17.77
19.70
26.71
32.73

International Conference on Computational and Experimental Marine Hydrodynamics

MARHY 2014
3-4 December 2014, Chennai, India.

3. CFD ANALYSIS OF SELF-PROPULSION

Stationary and Rotating regions are imported in STAR-CCM+ separately. These regions represent the fluid
domains for ship and propeller respectively. Two different Mesh continua are created for stationary and
rotating region and assigned to regions. The self-propulsion CFD simulation requires rotation motion given
to propeller. For rotating propeller dynamic simulation, implicit unsteady model is used. In implicit unsteady
approach each physical time-step involves some number of inner iterations to converge solution for that
given instant of time. Interfaces are created that allows mass and momentum transfer between rotating and
stationary regions. Ship velocity inlet is given as field function of velocity of surface wave, pressure outlet
boundary as hydrostatic pressure of surface wave. In Self-propulsion test, ship model moves due to the
thrust produced by its model propeller only, and propeller thrust and hull resistance are same for ship
model. The RPM of rotation motion is changed to match propeller thrust with ship model resistance, when
both are equal; self-propulsion point is achieved. The average experimental thrust deduction factor is 0.47;
The CFD result for thrust deduction factor 0.33 is lower compare to the experimental value.
The water around the stern acquires a forward motion in the same direction as the ship changes the flow
velocity around propeller. The difference between the ship speed and speed of advance is called as wake
speed. The average wake can be calculated by radial integration using following formula

Where r= radius of hub, R=propeller radius.

S. No.
1.
2.

Radial position (r/R)

.1
.3

Surface Average velocity (m/s)

0.52
0.57

Wake fraction
0.67
0.64

3.

.5

0.60

0.62

4.
5.
6.

.7
0.70
.9
0.81
1
0.98
Table 3: Velocity and wake distribution at propeller plane

0.56
0.50
0.39

The ship model velocity used in simulation is 1.63 m/s. The average wake using above formula is 0.55 and
Wake from Experimental tests is 0.23 from the above velocity distribution table 3, it can be seen that the
propeller wake is higher in the hub region as the inflow velocity is low and the wake decreases at the tip of
the blade.
4.

MANOEUVRING CHARACTERISTICS

For surface ships, the basic dynamics of manoeuvring and course keeping can be analysed using Newton's
equations of motion. Manoeuvring involve primarily forces, moments, and motions acting in all directions
in the horizontal plane. Numerical Integration of equations of motion is performed for calculating path of
ship under hydrodynamic forces using MATLAB. Two types of manoeuvring tests are performed:
1) Turning circle test is performed to determine ability to turn the vessel using hard over, the result being a
minimum advance at 90 change of heading and tactical diameter defined by transfer at 180 change
of heading. Essential information obtained from this manoeuvre is tactical diameter; advance and transfer.
2) Zigzag manoeuvre or yaw checking ability is performed to determine control characteristics under rudder
action of vessel. The yaw-checking ability of vessel is measure of the response to counter-rudder applied in
a certain state of turning, such as the heading overshoot reached before the yawing tendency has been
cancelled by the counter-rudder in a standard zigzag manoeuvre. The results of the manoeuvring tests are
compared with the IMO requirements.
Keywords: Computational fluid dynamics, hull propeller interaction, Finite Volume Method, Reynolds
Averaged NavierStokes (RANS), control volume, Steady State, Turbulence flow, Volume of Fluid, turning
circle test, zigzag manoeuvre.
2014: The Royal Institution of Naval Architects and IIT Madras