A Validation Simulation using OpenFOAM: Nozzle Length and Angle Effect on the Ducted Propeller Performance

Abstract The use of numerical simulation is needed for predicting the performance of the ship. The Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) method is based on the improvement of Reynold-Average Navier Stokes (RANS) equation, in order to compute the simulation for solving the engineering problem. The simulation was begun by conducting several calculations to validate the numerical method applied in open water propeller test. A Kaplan type propeller is selected with 19A nozzle. The Moving Rotating Frame (MRF) method was selected to test the ducted propeller performance by modifying the nozzle length and angle. The model was designed in Computer-Aided Design (CAD) program and predicted the performance using the OpenFOAM. The OpenFOAM was used as open source CFD tool. The results are validated by comparing with experimental value of J from 0.2 to 0.8 and produced the thrust, torque and efficiency trends in good agreement with experimental data. Due to the results, can be conclude that by increasing the nozzle length to 10% and 20%, the thrust was decreased about 2.25% and 3.01% at low advance coefficient to 7.06% and 9.41% at high advance coefficient. By increasing the nozzle angle, both thrust and torque were increased while efficiency decreased especially at low coefficient.