Propulsor Lift - What’s Been Missing in a Complete Performance Analysis

The performance prediction of powerboats, and all craft for that matter, relies on computational models designed to represent the underlying physics. Given that powerboats often reach speeds where dynamic lift forces become significant, the most popular predictive model among naval architects is a sum of forces and moments computation. This paper aims to address an important, yet frequently missing, component for that model: propulsor lift force. Various approaches to determining and employing propeller effect forces to enhance the accuracy of planing hull analysis are described, with a particular focus on improving CFD predictions using propeller effect data obtained from preliminary benchmark analysis.