A CFD-based study on the optimization and performance analysis of propeller boss cap fins for a 76,000-ton bulk carrier

In order to meet the stringent requirements of the global shipping industry in terms of energy efficiency and environmental protection, propeller performance optimization has become an important research direction. The propeller boss cap fin (PBCF), as an energy-saving device, effectively improves propeller propulsion efficiency by reducing wake vortices and recovering wake vortex energy, and has been applied in the actual navigation of many ships. In this paper, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach is used to compare and analyze the performance of the propeller of a 76,000-ton bulk carrier in the presence of a PBCF. The main components of the study include the establishment of a geometric model and CFD open water experimental simulation with a forward coefficient (J) of 0.4. Through comparative analysis, the results show that when J=0.4, the propulsive efficiency of the propeller retrofitted with PBCF increases by about 1.4%. The results of this study provide an important theoretical basis for the optimization of ship propulsion system, which has high practical application value and provides a feasible technical solution for the green development of ship propulsion system in the future.