Numerical Study of the Cavitation Performance of an Ice-Blocked Propeller Considering the Free Surface Effect

Propeller cavitation performance can be predicted based on model tests or simulations. However, the cavitation performance of an ice-blocked propeller near the free surface differs from that of a propeller in the cavitation tunnel. Therefore, research on the cavitation performance simulation of propellers near the free surface holds crucial scientific significance. In this study, a coupled model was established using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and the Volume of Fluid (VOF) coupling method. The CFD-VOF model weighted the overlapping grids and simulated the cavitation performance of an ice-blocked propeller using various immersion depths, cavitation numbers, and advance coefficients. The propeller inflow ahead of the propeller and the wake field behind it were controlled to accurately obtain the propeller cavitation performance. Moreover, a comparison was conducted between the cavitation tunnel test results and the numerical simulation results at various immersion depths. When the immersion depth was at a distance of 1D, the effect of the free surface on the propeller cavitation performance became significant. When the immersion depth was at a distance of 9D, the average errors between the numerical simulation and the model test data were within 10%. This study analyzed the cavitation performance of ice-blocked propellers near the free surface and provided valuable insights for the design of ice-class propellers.