The Evaluation of a Propeller Unsteady Force Computer Program to Predict Propeller Induced Unsteady Hull Pressures

Abstract

A potential flow computer program is used to predict the unsteady pressure field on a hullform caused by a rotating propeller. It was chosen over two other approaches and three programs. The program, PUF-3A, uses lifting surface theory and contains variables that are run in different combinations to ascertain their effects. The results are plots of sound pressure level, SPL, versus distance across the hullform and are compared to water tunnel model data. The baseline experimental configuration is a model of a single screw five blade propeller powered in the wake of a broad, relatively flat hull in a 48-in water tunnel. Another configuration tests an inflow altering device with the same hull and propeller geometry. The desired results is an identification of the program's strengths and weaknesses versus water tunnel data. Its strengths were in predicting the relative SPLs of the first blade rate harmonics in two different wake fields. In the case of a simple wake field, the overall relative SPLs of the second and third harmonics compare reasonably well with water tunnel data.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jul 01, 1991
Accession Number
ADA239430

Entities

People

  • R. C. Marboe
  • W. G. Berberich

Organizations

  • Pennsylvania State University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Ground and Sea Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Boundary Layer
  • Computer Programs
  • Computers
  • Equations
  • Flow
  • Fluid Flow
  • Frequency
  • Froude Number
  • Geometry
  • Indexes
  • Lifting Surfaces
  • Measurement
  • Potential Flow
  • Propeller Blades
  • Propellers
  • Sound Pressure
  • Water Tunnels

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Aerodynamics.
  • Computational Modeling and Simulation