Numerical simulation of the wake instabilities of a propeller

Abstract

Propeller wake instability mechanisms are investigated using the improved detached-eddy and large-eddy simulation approaches under heavy loading condition. Simulations involving a rotating propeller are performed using a dynamic overset technique in order to compare experimental propeller loads and phase-averaged flow fields and validate the modeling approach and grid system. Analysis of the three-dimensional vortical structures, out-of-plane vorticity, velocity components, Reynolds stresses, and kinetic energy power spectral density reveal the flow physics that drive the tip vortex instability process. The present study extends knowledge of propeller wake instability inception mechanisms under heavy loading conditions. It also helps to promote further understanding of propeller wake dynamics and provides a reference for the assessment of turbulence modeling approaches used to study propeller wake instability.