Pre-swirl stator investigation with simultaneous consideration of reducing underwater vehicle roll and increasing propulsion efficiency

Pre-swirl stators (PSSs) may operate as a device to improve the hydrodynamic performance of the propeller and reduce the remaining propeller torque on the submarines. This remaining torque on the submarines with a circular cross section may act unusual rolling motion. The most important and influential parameters in the PSSs are the chord length, distance from the propeller and angle of attack. The proposed PSS is selected by using Taguchi method and numerical results of the propeller performance to provide less remaining torque and more efficiency. The computations are calculated with using the commercial STAR-CCM+ software. To validate the calculations, the numerical simulation results of a B-series propeller are compared with the existing experimental data. The hydrodynamic performance of the propeller with the different PSSs under operating at the behind the underwater vehicle is presented and discussed. It is concluded that the final PSS gains 2.29% efficiency and simultaneously diminishes 44.47% of the total propulsion torque.