Numerical Study of Hydrodynamic and Thermal Wake Flows around an Underwater Vehicle

During the movement of underwater vehicles, hydrodynamic wakes are formed along with long-distance thermal wakes caused by the release of thermal wastewater. By capturing and imaging the thermal wake generated behind the underwater vehicle in real time, it is possible to determine the size, speed, and location of the vehicle. Investigating the hydrodynamic wake and thermal wake of underwater vehicle requires the integration of various physical fields, including fluid mechanics and temperature. Current research is centered on analyzing the impact of factors like the underwater vehicle’s speed, temperature and flow rate of thermal wastewater on the wake. However, there is a lack of comprehensive studies in this area, as well as limited attention given to the effects of attachments and propellers on thermal wake. This study conducted numerical simulations using the RANS method to analyze the hydrodynamic and thermal wake of an underwater vehicle with a fully attached body. The research considered various speeds, propeller speeds, temperatures and flow rates of thermal wastewater. The results revealed that the propeller significantly influences the core region of the thermal wake. The temperature decays rapidly when closer to the vehicle and slower at greater distances. Moreover, higher speeds and propeller rotation speeds lead to a larger affected area by temperature. Additionally, increasing the temperature and flow rate of thermal wastewater strengthens the thermodynamic signal in the wake behind the underwater vehicle.