Numerical simulation of unsteady propeller force for a submarine in straight ahead sailing and steady diving maneuver

In order to provide a complementary perspective to the effects of the maneuvering motions on the unsteady propeller performance, the numerical simulation of the flow field of the hull-rudder- propeller system is performed by Unsteady Reynolds-averaged Naiver-Stokes (URANS) method. Firstly, the flow fields around the submarine model without the presence of propeller in straight ahead motion and the steady diving maneuvers with submergence rudder deflections of 4°, 8° and 12° are predicted numerically. The non-uniformity characteristic of the nominal wake field is exacerbated with the increase of submergence rudder angle. Then the flow field around the SUBOFF-G submarine fitted with the 4381 propeller is simulated. The axial, transverse and vertical unsteady propeller forces in different maneuvering conditions are compared. In general, as the submarine maneuvers more violently, the harmonic amplitudes of the unsteady force at the 2BPF and 3BPF increased more significantly than that at BPF. Keywords: Submarine, Unsteady propeller force, Steady diving maneuver, Non-uniform inflow