Comparison Analysis of Three Kinds of Computational Methods for the Bearing Force of Propellers

In order to study the bearing force of propellers, four different blades are fitted onto the same place at the end of a standard mold of SUBOFF. With the help of CFD, quasi steady empirical formula, and the lifting line theory method, the bearing force can be predicted. Based on the calculation results, this paper analyzes the effects of the blade number of propeller on the bearing force as well as the relative strength of the force in various directions. Finally, the advantages of all three kinds of methods are summarized, and it is observed that the lifting line theory method and the CFD are more suitable than quasi steady method for engineering applications, especially for the highly skewed blade. Meanwhile, the lifting line theory method has a higher computational efficiency than that of CFD method. In addition, the propeller bearing force decreases as the number of blades increases or the skewness increases, and the overall weight bearing force in the y direction is greater than that in the x direction.