Numerical analysis of the unsteady cavitation performance and structural characteristics of composite propeller

The hydrodynamic performance of a composite propeller under cavitation conditions is analyzed considering the bidirectional transient fluid-structure coupling. The structure field and the flow field are calculated using ANSYS Mechanical/CFX and the information is transferred between them by the interface. It indicates the unsteady cavitating flow features in the presence of the wake condition manifest periodic tendencies. Additionally, the hydrodynamic coefficients of the composite propeller display a phase delay. The composite propeller demonstrates decreased volume of cavitation and enhanced efficiency. The bend-twist coupled deformation in the propeller mitigates the effects of cavitation loads on the performance.