Estudio sobre la eficiencia y el rendimiento de cavitación de las hélices CLT utilizadas en lanchas rápidas

This study aimed to determine whether a modified Contracted Loaded Tip propeller design could effectively mitigate cavitation on the suction side and if the tip effect, by concentrating thrust at the blade tip to increase the effective diameter, could reduce the probability of abrupt thrust breakdown. The methodology involved the design of a four-bladed CLT propeller with an area ratio of 0.785, incorporating advanced airfoils and modifying the tip curvature from a 90-degree angle to a rounded corner. Propeller performance was experimentally evaluated in a medium cavitation tank at vessel speeds ranging from 28 to 40 knots and shaft inclination angles of 8 and 10 degrees. The experimental results demonstrated that the CLT propeller maintained a robust propulsive performance at both atmospheric pressure and low cavitation coefficients, with minimal sensitivity to shaft inclination. Under high-load conditions, the terminal blade design significantly reduced thrust breakdown, achieving higher efficiency than flanged propellers at speeds near 40 knots. Finally, it was concluded that while the transition to a rounded corner improved erosion resistance, the reduction in the angle of attack was slightly insufficient. This resulted in the persistence of laminar cavitation on the back of the blade under oblique shaft conditions, suggesting the need for further adjustments in the hydrodynamic configuration to optimize performance in these specific operating regimes.