Experimental Study on Ventilation and Shaft Excitation Force of a Propeller in Partially Submerged Condition

Through a series of bollard pull tests of a propeller in partially submerged condition, thrust, torque, and shaft excitation force of a conventional propeller model were measured using a six-component load cell. By variation of the Weber number and Reynolds number, a consistent towing tank model test condition was derived. The effects of propeller immersion depth on the ventilation behavior and change of force and moment acting onto the propeller shaft were investigated. The decrease in thrust owing to the inception of ventilation was confirmed, and a large degree of dispersion of the thrust and torque coefficients were also observed in the transition region where the blade tip was under the water surface. The shaft excitation force was derived from the force and moment onto the propeller shaft.