Non-axisymmetric Effective Wake Prediction by Using an Unsteady Three-Dimensional Euler Solver

A fully three-dimensional unsteady Euler solver, based on a finite volume approach and the pressure-correction method, is developed and applied to the prediction of the effective wake for propellers subject to non-axisymmetric inflows. The method is coupled with an existing vortex lattice method for the analysis of unsteady cavitating propeller flows. The propeller is modeled as the unsteady force at the location of the blade and appears as the body force term in the Euler equations. The unsteady Euler solver is first validated against the solution obtained by a previously developed steady Euler solver for a non-axisymmetric inflow, and then against the solution by the potential flow solver in the uniform inflow case. The unsteady effective wake is predicted for a non-axisymmetric nominal wake, and it is found that the unsteadiness in the effective wake is small in this case. Lastly, the predicted total velocity field is compared with the experimental data obtained from the MIT water tunnel.