Numerical study on the hull–propeller interaction of autonomous underwater vehicle

Abstract

The hull–propeller interaction of autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) in straight and oblique flow is numerically studied. The study is performed based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and the general commercial software ANSYS Workbench. The multiple reference frames (MRF) method and the shear stress transport (SST) k−ω turbulence model are adopted. Firstly, the drag of Suboff AUV and the open water performance of the Wageningen B-3-50 propeller are simulated numerically. The errors are all within 5%, validating the reliability of the method in this paper. Then, the Sailfish AUV and B-3-35 propeller developed by the Underwater Vehicle Laboratory (UVL) of Ocean University of China are simulated. The maximum incremental drag produced by the appendages reaches even more than 1.5 times the hull drag. Propeller rotation causes an additional hull drag increment of over 25%. With an inlet velocity of 1.5 m/s, the thrust and torque behind the bare hull increase by 16.7% and 6.4%, respectively. The effect of angle of attack on drag is more significant at high velocity. Finally, the numerical simulation result 1.825 m/s and experimental result 1.75 m/s are compared. This study has implications for guidance on AUV integration analysis.