Design of Kaplan-Series Propeller for Commercial Submarine by Varying Rake Angle and Number of the Blade to Obtain the Highest Thrust and Efficiency

Abstract

The use of submarines has covered various fields, for instance, is the exploration and exploitation of offshore petroleum. Submarine production and operation costs are still very expensive. The efficient use of fuel can reduce operating costs and increase cruising time for submarines. It is necessary to design the most optimal propeller with the highest and most efficient thrust. In this study, a commercial submarine is applied with the Kaplan-series propeller and nozzle intended to increase propeller thrust. Based on previous research it is recommended that propeller design should involve the hull itself. Therefore, the submarine hull form will be simulated together with the propeller. By varying the number of blades and rake angles of each propeller, it is expected to obtain the highest thrust. There are 3 types of the number of a blade that used in this study i.e. 6, 8, and 10 blades. While the variation rake angles are 50, 100, and 150. The present study uses computational fluid dynamics to predict thrust and torque in open water conditions. The turbulence flow k-epsilon model was used in the simulation. The results revealed that Ka1080 Propeller with 5° rake angle has the highest thrust and torque, which is 201 kN and 181 kN.m. on the other hand, propeller Ka680 with 15° rake angle has the highest efficiency reaching 50.9%.