Hydrodynamic performance of distributed pump-jet propulsion system for underwater vehicle

A type of distributed pump-jet propulsion system (DPJP) is developed with two or four specially designed pump-jet pods located around the axisymmetric underwater vehicle body symmetrically. The flow field is numerically simulated by solving the RANS equations with the finite volume method. The computational method is validated by comparing the calculated hull resistances of the SUBOFF AFF-3 model and the open water performance of a ducted propeller with experimental data. The hydrodynamic performances of the DPJP with different axial or radial positions and numbers of pump-jet pods are obtained to analyze the interactions between the hull and the pump-jet pods. It is shown in the calculated results that the decrease of the distance between the pods and the hull leads to an increase both in the efficiency of the pods and the thrust deduction factor due to the effect of the stern wake. And, a negative thrust deduction factor can be obtained by locating the DPJP at the parallel middle body near the aftbody of the vehicle to improve the hydrodynamic performance of the DPJP. Besides, the increase of the number of pods will cause a remarkable decrease of the total propulsive efficiency of the DPJP with the pods mounted on the stern planes, while a small decline of the total propulsive efficiency of the DPJP is observed with the pods mounted on the parallel middle body.