Accurate marine propellers flow field CFD through anisotropic mesh optimization

Abstract

PurposeComputational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation of the flow field around marine propellers is challenging because of geometric complexity and rotational effects. To capture the flow structure, grid quality and distribution around the blades is primordial. This paper aims to demonstrate that solution-based automatic mesh optimization is the most logical and practical way to achieve optimal CFD solutions.Design/methodology/approachIn the current paper, open water propeller performance coefficients such as thrust and torque coefficients are numerically investigated. An anisotropic mesh adaptation technique is applied, believed for the first time, to marine propellers and to two computational domains.FindingsThe current study’s performance coefficients are compared with other previously published CFD results and improvements in terms of accuracy and computational cost are vividly demonstrated for different advance coefficients, as well as a much sharper capture of the complex flow features.Originality/valueIt will be clearly demonstrated that these two improvements can be achieved, surprisingly, at a much lower meshing and computational cost.