Numerical study on transient four-quadrant hydrodynamic performance of cycloidal propellers

Aiming to investigate the transient four-quadrant hydrodynamics on blades under the circumferential motion of the steering center, an efficient three-dimensional (3D) model with half blades was established in this paper. The 3D model with half blades accounts for the hydrodynamic loss induced by the complicated mechanical structure, predicting the hydrodynamic performance of the high-load cycloidal propeller with high accuracy. On this basis, the open water manoeuvering performance of the cycloidal propellers in fully azimuth angle was simulated by Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) solver, and the hydrodynamic loads and flow field characteristics were analyzed in detail. The research shows that the variation of azimuth angle phi induces the rapid response of hydrodynamic loads, which directly affects the direction of ship motion. Compared with phi = 0 degrees, the increase in the azimuth angle of the steering center will enhance the negative impact of the inflow velocity on the wake flow field and the internal flow field within the blades. Additionally, the non-uniform flow in the main thrust direction leads to a significant increase in the undesired net lateral force. Our primary findings revealed in present paper should contribute to accurate prediction of hydrodynamic performance for high-load cycloidal propellers during maneuvering process.