Numerical investigation of tip-vortex cavitation noise of submarine propellers using hybrid computational hydro-acoustic approach

In this study, the hybrid computational hydro-acoustics (CHA) method is applied to predict hydrodynamic noise due to tip vortex cavitation (TVC) of underwater submarine propellers. The hybrid CHA approach consists of two sequential methods: Delayed Detached Eddy Simulation (DDES) technique with adaptive mesh refinement method and the Ffowcs Williams and Hawkings (FW-H) equation. The former is utilized for accurate prediction of TVC of underwater propellers, and the latter is used for efficient prediction of hydro-acoustic pressure due to cavitating flow. The target submarine and propeller are the DARPA suboff submarine and two high skew propellers with skew angles of 17 and 38 degrees. The propellers are designed to investigate the effects of skew angle on TVC and its noise. The corresponding experiments are performed in the Large Cavitation Tunnel (LCT) of the Korea Research Institute of Ships and Ocean Engineering (KRISO). The two preliminary simulations are carried out to confirm the close reproduction of the experimental conditions in the main simulations. First, the flow through the LCT test section is simulated to confirm the accurate reproduction of the wall boundary layer. Its validity is confirmed by comparing the predicted boundary layer profiles with the measured results. Second, the flow over the DARPA suboff submarine without a propeller in the LCT test section is simulated to confirm the accurate prediction of the inflow distortion originating from the boundary layer flow of the submarine body. Its validity is also confirmed by comparing the predicted nominal wake field with the measured one. After the close reproduction of these two effects is confirmed, the cavitating flow of the propellers installed to the DARPA suboff submarine body is simulated by using the DDES technique combined with adaptive mesh refinement, and the TVC noise is predicted by applying the quadrupole-corrected FW-H equation to the surfaces enclosing the propellers. The predicted TVC of the propeller closely follows the measured one. The numerical and experimental results capture the TVC induced by the wake flows due to the submarine body's rudders and sail. The predicted hydro-acoustic pressure spectra due to the propellers' cavitating flow also show excellent agreements with the predicted ones. Besides, both the numerical and experimental results confirm that the lower noise is generated by the propeller with a higher skew angle.