Theoretical Analysis and Experimental Research of Non-cavitation noise on Underwater Counter-rotation Propellers

Abstract

The non-cavitation noise of counter-rotation propeller is a key factor for detection and recognition of underwater high-speed vehicles. This paper presents a theoretical analysis and a hybrid numerical simulation method of underwater counter-rotation propeller non-cavitation noise. An experimental verification is also included. The sound pressure spectrum model is presented to describe the non-cavitation noise of a counter-rotation propeller with application of generalised acoustic analogy method. The counter-rotation propeller noise is predicted using the frequency-domain acoustic analogy. The flow field is analysed by computational fluid dynamics based on the viscous flow theory. The flow field pressure is used for the acoustic spectrum prediction. The numerical simulation results are verified by a cavitation-tunnel experiment. Throughout the study, the counter-rotation propeller non-cavitation noise is analysed. The overall results indicate that the numerical approach is reliable for predicting non-cavitation noise of counter-rotation propeller, which is beneficial for characteristics extraction and identification of underwater high-speed vehicles.