The choice of propeller design parameters with respect to cavitation control 1

Abstract

In this paper results are given of a study of how the type and extent of cavitation on screw propellers, working in wake flows, are influenced by different values of propeller geometry and propeller-operation parameters. The method developed by the author for the theoretical prediction of cavitation is employed to calculate the extent of cavitation on face and back of the blades of a systematic series of propellers. This propeller series is derived by varying the main geometry parameters around a centre – or reference – propeller. To determine the dependence of the extent of cavitation on different types of non-uniform velocity fields, the cavitation characteristics of the reference propeller are also calculated for a systematic series of wake field parameters. The results of these calculations indicate that the cavitation performance of a propeller can be significantly affected by changing values of geometry and operational parameters for a given wake field.