Numerical analysis of propeller cavitation and pressure fluctuations around the INSEAN E779A propeller in a non-uniform wake

Unsteady cavitating flows around the INSEAN E779A propeller were studied numerically with the propeller operating downstream in a non-uniform wake. The objective of this work is to predict the cavitating flow along the rotating blades and to establish the relationship between the cavitation evolution and the pressure fluctuations. The analysis used the k- omega shear stress transport (k-omega k- omega SST) turbulence model and the ZGB cavitation model. Results using various grids show the solve methods capabilities for a wide range of conditions. The numerical results compare well with experimental data for the transient cavitating flow predictions in a non-uniform wake. Although the predictions slightly underestimate the cloud cavity formation, the evolution of the sheet cavity, tip vortex cavity and side-entrant jets are well reproduced as the blade goes through the wake. Further analyses demonstrate that the side-entrant jet is the primary cause driving the cavity to detach from the blade surface. Finally, cavity volume evolution and the excited pressure data are analyzed to show that the pressure fluctuations are mainly driven by the accelerating cavity volume growth.