Abstract: A 3D model of propeller is built according to projection theory and curved-surface offsets. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method is used to simulate numerically the propeller open-water performance by using the Reynolds-averaged navier-stokes (RANS) equation and three different turbulence models based on sub-domains hybrid meshes. The employed meshing method features less meshes and high quality. The predicted thrust coefficients, torque coefficients and the velocity, pressure distribution of wake flow field agree well with the experimental data. It shows that the numerical method which uses Reynolds stress model (RSM) presented in this paper has good accuracy in the prediction of propeller open-water performance. The results may guide the selecting of turbulence model in viscous flow computation around complex rotating machine. Some important viscous flow characteristics of the propeller such as flow separation, tip vortex and wake flow field are obtained, which provides an effective reference to the study on noise and vibration of the propeller and the design of new efficient propulsor.

Key words: Computational fluid dynamics, Open-water performance, Propeller, Sub-domains hybrid meshes