URANS approach in hull-propeller-rudder interaction of a surface combatant at high speed

The assessment of hydrodynamic performance of self-propelled ships at higher speeds has become a popular research field in recent years. The presence of a propeller working behind the ship causes several effects, e.g., changing the resistance of the ship or the lift generated by the rudder/s. The free surface deformations in the wake-field are also affected by the propeller and the rudder/s. In this study, the hull-propeller-rudder interactions of the surface combatant DDG51 (Guided Missile Destroyer) in 1/46.588 model scale, which is known as DTMB5512 (David Taylor Model Basin) in literature, have been investigated using unsteady RANS (Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes) approach coupled with the body force method. The computational domain has been discretized using the finite volume method (FVM). Free surface effects have been taken into account using volume of fluid (VOF) method. Hydrodynamic analyses have been carried out for a relatively higher Froude number and the hull is considered as fixed during the analyses. Open water hydrodynamic performance of marine propeller (DTMB4058) has also been investigated. First, the computational results have been compared with the experimental ones. After validation, twin-rudder and twin-inward-propeller have been implemented. Pressure distributions on the hull, wave deformations in the wake-field and the changes of the drag force with or w/o rudder and propeller have been investigated.