Hydrodynamic performance optimization of marine propellers based on fluid-structure coupling

Fiber-reinforced composites offer the benefits of high strength, high stiffness, lightweight, superior damping performance, and great design capability when compared to metal. The rigidity characteristics of the composite laminate in different directions may be adjusted to meet the requirements of the application by using appropriate materials and arranging the lay-up sequence. As a result, the purpose of this work is to explore the influence of lay-up type on propeller performance in terms of both hydrodynamic and structural performance. A transient fluid-structure interaction (FSI) algorithm based on the finite element method (FEM) combined with the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technique is developed and used for the analysis of composite propellers. The hydrodynamic performance of the propeller is compared to that of a metallic material. Propeller propulsion efficiency, structural deformation, equivalent stress, and damage performance of different lay-up options under three different operating situations are compared. In addition, it is presented a parametric optimization approach to get the most appropriate lay-up program for composite blades with the best hydrodynamic properties and structural performance.