Abstract
Flexible composite propellers are subject to large deformation under heavy loading, and hence the hydrodynamic performance of deformed propeller might deviate from that of the metallic propeller under negligible deformation. To design the flexible propeller, it is therefore necessary to be able to evaluate the structural response of the blades to the hydrodynamic loadings, and then the influence of the blade deformation upon the hydrodynamic loadings. We use the lifting-surface-theory-based propeller analysis and design codes in solving the hydrodynamic problem, and the finite-element-method program formulated with 20-node iso-parametric solid elements for the analysis of the structural response. The two different hydrodynamic and structural programs are arranged to communicate through the carefully-designed interface scheme which leads to the derivation of the geometric parameters such as the pitch, the rake and the skew distributions common to both programs. The design of flexible propellers, suitable for manufacturing, is shown to perform the required thrust performance when deformed in operation. Sample design shows the fast iteration scheme and the robustness of the design procedure of the flexible propellers.
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