Effects of propeller cavitation on ship propulsion performance in off-design operating conditions

The propeller cavitation is closely related with its hydrodynamic performance . When the propeller works in the cavitating flow, the propeller hydrodynamic performance, in terms of thrust and torque coefficients, is reduced due to the propeller cavitation. When the high-speed and high-power ship sails in adverse sea, the varying loads on propeller will cause severer cavitation on propeller. The reduction in propulsion performance caused by cavitation will further affect the propulsion system , impacting the ship sailing performance and safety. The VP1304 propeller cavitation CFD simulation are conducted to validate the CFD method. Furthermore, the influence of propeller advance ratio and cavitation numbers on the performance of low-speed high-power series propeller in cavitating flow are studied and illustrated. This influence of cavitation has also been transferred to the propulsion system and this process are calculated by the ship propulsion system numerical model. Additionally, the sailing performance of ship propulsion system under off-design conditions, where the cavitation is more likely to occur, has been investigated in this article. Under severe heavy load conditions, it can even result in a complete loss of propulsion capability, posing significant risks. Therefore, it is necessary to further optimize control strategies for the propulsion system to mitigate the hazards caused by cavitation. • Propeller cavitation performance analysis under various operating conditions using CFD. • Ship propulsion integrated simulation model considering the propeller cavitation effects. • Effects of propeller cavitation on ship propulsion system and its operating limitations are analyzed. • Suggestions on the propulsion system control strategies under propeller cavitation operating state.