Numerical study on propeller performance for a vessel in restricted water

Abstract

Ship-bank hydrodynamic interaction effect in shallow water on ship manoeuvrability, steering performance and navigation in restricted waters has been a main challenge to safe navigation. The objectives of this research are firstly to investigate the effect of non-symmetric sloped bank and shallow water on hydrodynamic characteristics of propeller for a LNG ship, secondly to determine the flow wake pattern at propeller plane in different water depth and ship-bank distance. The numerical and experimental research methodologies were applied to achieve the objectives. The data contributes to the surface-ship resistance and propulsion model-scale database for computational fluid dynamics validation, as part of an international collaborative project between Malaysia International Shipping Corporation Berhad (MISC) and Hydrodynamic Research Group of MTC in UTM Institute (HRG-MTC-UTM). The tests were conducted in Marine technology Centre (MTC) - Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) to validate the computational fluid dynamic simulations using ANSYS-CFX 14. The thrust deduction factor decreased due to suction effect in stern region of ship above Also propeller thrust and torque increased. These results can be applied for as a valuable guideline for evaluating the manoeuvring and navigation of the vessel in restricted waters.