Numerical Calculation of Marine Propeller Hydrodynamic Characteristics in Unsteady Flow by Boundary Element Method

In this paper, a low order potential based on surface panel method is used for the analysis of marine propellers in unsteady flow. A linear propeller wake model is employed and its geometry is assumed to be independent of the time. The calculation in time domain is carried out from a moment when the rotation of the propeller becomes steady instead of from the moment when the rotation starts from stationary condition. At every time step a linear algebraic equation established on a key blade is solved numerically combined with the Kutta pressure condition. The calculated results by developed code indicate good convergency and effectiveness of present algorithm for conventional propellers and highly skewed propellers.