Unsteady hydromechanics of a steering podded propeller unit

Unsteady forces, torques and bending moments were predicted for a model podded propulsor unit at various azimuth angles. Predictions in time history include propeller shaft thrust, propulsor unit thrust, normal forces to the propeller shaft bearing, total forces acting on the propulsor unit, propeller shaft torque, blade spindle torque, in-plane and out-of-plane bending moments, and propulsor unit stock shaft torque and bending moments. Analysis was performed for averaged forces and their fluctuations as well. A time-domain unsteady multi-body panel method code, PROPELLA, was further developed for this prediction work. Predictions were compared with a set of time averaged in-house experimental data for a puller-type podded propulsor configuration in the first quadrant operation. Unsteady fluctuations of forces were predicted numerically. Analysis was made for the bending moment on propeller blades, shaft and the propulsor unit stock shaft for azimuth angles from 0° to 45°. It indicates that the magnitude and fluctuation of the forces are significant and they are essential for structural strength and design optimization. The predicted bending moment and global forces on the propulsor unit provide some useful data for ship maneuvering motion and simulation in off-design conditions.     

Influence of Ice Size Parameter Variation on Hydrodynamic Performance of Podded Propulsor

During ice-breaking navigation, a massive amount of crushed ice blocks with different sizes is accumulated under the hull of an ice-going ship. This ice slides into the flow field in the forward side of the podded propulsor, affecting the surrounding flow field and aggravating the non-uniformity of the propeller wake. A pulsating load is formed on the propeller, which affects the hydrodynamic performance of the podded propulsor. To study the changes in the propeller hydrodynamic performance during the ice podded propulsor interaction, the overlapping grid technique is used to simulate the unsteady hydrodynamic performance of the podded propulsor at different propeller rotation angles and different ice block sizes. Hence, the hydrodynamic blade behavior during propeller rotation under the interaction between the ice and podded propulsor is discussed. The unsteady propeller loads and surrounding flow fields obtained for ice blocks with different sizes interacting with the podded propulsor are analyzed in detail. The variation in the hydrodynamic performance during the circular motion of a propeller and the influence of ice size variation on the propeller thrust and torque are determined. The calculation results have certain reference significance for experiment-based research, theoretical calculations and numerical simulation concerning ice podded propulsor interaction.     

动力定位系统的控制方程及模型试验

动力定位系统（ＤＰＳ）是开发深海的一种较为有效的海上开发系统。由于ＤＰＳ是一个较为复杂的系统,在进行模型试验时,每个Ｚ型螺旋桨都设有计算机芯片以及遥控装置,用以接收ＰＩＤ系统发出的指令,为模型试验的模拟也带来了一定困难。本文讨论了动力定位系统的数学模型,模型试验中推力的分配及控制方程和试验中的一些要求。     

A novel maneuverable propeller for improving maneuverability and propulsive performance of underwater vehicles

The existing propulsor that can perform both propulsion and maneuvering along axis of rotation is propeller/rotor for a helicopter. Helicopter propellers when maneuvering increase or decrease their blades’ pitch cyclically to create imbalanced thrust and hence maneuvering force/torque. A “maneuverable propeller” was developed and its performance on both maneuvering and propulsion is assessed. The “maneuverable propeller” is an alternative of the existing helicopter rotors. The novelty of this propulsor is that the imbalanced thrust force/torque is created by cyclically increasing or decreasing the angular speed of their blades relatively to the hubs/shafts, to provide the desired maneuvering torque. This maneuverable propeller is hence defined as the Cyclic Blade Variable Rotational Speed Propeller (CBVRP). One of the best advantages is that the maneuvering torque created by the “maneuverable propeller” is much higher, about 5 times of the shaft torque of the same propeller at thrust only mode. The “maneuverable propeller” has wide applications for both surface ships and underwater vehicles that require high maneuverability for cruising inside the narrow passage.     

Bioinspired delayed stall propulsor

This paper provides an overview of a bioinspired delay stall propulsor (BDSP) concept that employs delayed stall unsteady lift enhancement to increase the lift on propeller blades without adding any complexity to the propulsor. This BDSP concept can provide greatly increased propeller thrust for a given propeller diameter, leading to both increased speed and/or maneuverability. Alternately, this technology offers reduced radiated noise while maintaining current thrust levels through reduction in both propulsor rotation speed and acoustic cancellation. Preliminary two-dimensional simulations have shown a potential 36% reduction in rotational speed at constant thrust, leading to an estimated 4-dB reduction in the total radiated acoustic power. It is believed that the BDSP concept will be simple to manufacture, rugged, and easy to retrofit into existing marine propulsors. This technology has direct application to torpedoes, unmanned underwater vehicles, maneuvering thrusters, submarines, and other propeller-driven devices.     

Ionomeric electroactive polymer artificial muscle for naval applications

Specialized propulsors for naval applications have numerous opportunities in terms of research, design, and fabrication of an appropriate propulsor. One of the most important components of any propulsor is the actuator that provides the mode of locomotion. ionomeric electroactive polymer may offer an attractive solution for locomotion of small propulsors. A common ionomeric electroactive polymer, ionic polymer-metal composites (IPMCs) give large true bending deformations under low driving voltages, operate in aqueous environments, are capable of transduction, and are relatively well understood. IPMC fabrication and operation are presented to further elucidate the use of the material for a propulsor. Various materials, including IPMCs, are investigated and a simplified propulsor model is explored.     

吊舱推进器与船体间相互影响研究进展

吊舱推进器是近年来发展起来的一种新型船舶推进装置.针对吊舱推进器与船体之间影响的成因、干扰形式和研究方法进行了阐述,总结了吊舱推进器与船体之间相互影响的理论研究和模型试验方面取得的成果.最后提出该领域的主要研究方向,作为进一步研究的参考.     

Energy saving performance analysis of contra-rotating azimuth propulsor. Part 2: Optimal matching investigation in model scale

The propulsive efficiency maximization of contra-rotating azimuth propulsor (CRAP) at model scale is investigated through searching the optimal matching rotational speeds of the forward propeller (FP) and rear propeller (RP) of CRAP based on the potential-based panel method. The hydrodynamic performance of CRAP with changing rotational speeds (FP and RP may have different rotational speeds) are calculated. When the inflow velocity is certain, the cubic spline interpolation method is used to get the equal thrust points at which CRAP has the same thrust with the corresponding conventional propeller (CP). Then, the delivered powers at these equal thrust points are further obtained through cubic spline interpolation method. The rotational speeds of FP and RP at the equal thrust point corresponding to the minimal delivered power are the optimal matching rotational speeds of CRAP. The optimal matching calculations are carried out at different inflow velocities. The results of the optimal matching investigation show that CRAP has the lowest delivered powers when FP and RP have the optimal matching rotational speeds and that the energy saving level decreases with the increase of inflow velocity. The optimal matching rotational speed ratio decreases with the increase of inflow velocity. In general, the delivered powers of CRAP having optimal matching rotational speeds at different inflow velocities are obviously smaller than those of CP.     

RANS Simulation of Podded Propulsor Performances in Straight Forward Motion

The Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) approach is adopted to study the steady and unsteady performances of the podded propulsor by the Fluent software package. While the interactions of the propeller blades with the pod and strut are time-dependent by nature, the mixing plane model is employed firstly to predict the steady performance, where the interactions are time-averaged. Numerical experiments are carried out with systematically varied mesh sizes to investigate the dependence of the predicted force values on the mesh sizes. Furthermore, the sliding mesh model is employed to simulate the unsteady interactions between the blades, pod and strut. Based on the numerical results, the characteristics of unsteady hydrodynamic forces are discussed, and the applicability of the mixing plane model is investigated for puller-type podded propulsor.     

Energy saving performance analysis of contra-rotating azimuth propulsor

The energy saving performance of contra-rotating azimuth propulsor (CRAP) is investigated based on low order potential-based panel method. The hydrodynamic interactions among the forward propeller (FP), rear propeller (RP) and the pod unit (PU) which includes the pod body and the strut are considered through induced velocities which are obtained by panel method. In order to have a better understanding about the energy saving performance of CRAP, the hydrodynamic performance of a conventional propeller (CP) supplying the same thrust with CRAP at design condition is also calculated. At design condition, CRAP has a decrease in delivered power by approximately 8% comparing with CP, and the tangential induced velocities in slipstream show that CRAP recovers the rotational energy of slipstream effectively. At off-design conditions, the rotational speed of CRAP is adjusted to supply the same thrust with CP. In general, the delivered power of CRAP is significantly smaller than that of CP, and the energy saving performance of CRAP increases with the decrease of inflow velocity.     

Performance assessment of a concept propulsor: the thrust-balanced propeller

This paper presents the results of a numerical performance analysis to demonstrate the worthiness of a recently patented new concept propulsor, the so-called “thrust-balanced propeller (TBP)”. The main advantage of this unconventional propulsor is its inherent ability to reduce the unsteady effect of blade forces and moments when it is operating in a non-uniform wake flow. The propulsor comprises a pair of diametrically opposed blades that are connected to one another and mounted so as to be rotatable together through a limited angle about their spindle axis. A quasi-hydrodynamic approach is described and applied to perform the numerical analysis using a state-of-the-art lifting surface procedure for conventional propellers. Performance comparisons with a conventional fixed-pitch propeller are made for the blade forces and moments, efficiency, cavitation extents and fluctuating hull pressures. Bearing in mind the quasi-static nature of the analyses, the results present favourable performance characteristics for the thrust-balanced propeller and support the worthiness of the concept. However, the concept needs to be proved through physical model tests, which are planned to take in a cavitation tunnel.     

畸形波作用下半潜浮式风机系泊失效停机响应分析

半潜浮式风机逐渐在深海风电开发中受到关注,建立风机、平台与系泊结构耦合数值计算模型,通过FAST与AQWA链接进行风机塔基荷载及平台运动响应相互耦合传递,基于随机波与极限波组合模型生成畸形波时程序列,进行半潜浮式风机系泊失效全过程时域模拟计算分析,得出系泊锚链张力、风机、塔筒和平台运动时程响应,探究系泊失效、风机停机和叶片变桨速率对浮式风机平台系泊结构动力响应的影响。结果表明：畸形波作用下浮式平台和系泊结构动力响应显著,系泊失效导致塔基剪力增加,平台纵荡和纵摇运动响应显著增大;风机停机会引起系泊锚链张力显著减小,转子推力、塔基剪力和叶尖挥舞位移响应逐渐衰减,平台纵荡、纵摇和横摇运动响应显著减小;随着叶片变桨速率增加,风机转子推力和塔基剪力波动幅值增大。     

基于人工神经网络的半潜平台动力定位系统推力分配策略研究

针对带有禁止角的半潜平台动力定位系统推力分配算法功率较大的问题,提出了一种基于人工神经网络拟合桨—桨干扰推力损失函数的序列二次规划推力分配算法。该方法考虑了半潜平台桨—桨干扰造成的推力损失,引入推力系数来表达推力损失。利用人工神经网络拟合推力系数,将推力损失加入到推力分配的数学模型中,取消了禁止角。采用序列二次规划求解推力分配数学模型。最后以某半潜式钻井平台为例,选取三种浪向角工况进行推力分配仿真模拟,结果显示该算法在高效分配定位所需推力的同时有效减小了功率消耗,应用前景广泛。     

The Development of a Biologically Inspired Propulsor for Unmanned Underwater Vehicles

Fish are remarkable in their ability to maneuver and to control their body position. This ability is the result of the coordinated movement of fins which extend from the body and form control surfaces that can create and vector forces in 3-D. We have embarked on a research program designed to develop a maneuvering propulsor for unmanned undersea vehicles (UUVs) that is based on the pectoral fin of the bluegill sunfish. For this, the anatomy, kinematics, and hydrodynamics of the sunfish pectoral fin were investigated experimentally and through the use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. These studies identified that the kinematics of the sunfish pectoral fin are very complex and are not easily described by traditional ldquorowingrdquo- and ldquoflappingrdquo-type kinematics. A consequence of the complex motion is that the pectoral fin can produce forward thrust during both its outstroke (abduction) and instroke (adduction), and while doing so generates only small lateral and lift forces. The results of the biological studies were used to guide the design of robotic pectoral fins which were built as experimental devices and used to investigate the mechanisms of thrust production and control. Because of a design that was based heavily on the anatomy of the sunfish fin, the robotic pectoral fins had the level of control and degrees of freedom necessary to reproduce many of the complex fin motions used by the sunfish during steady swimming. These robotic fins are excellent experimental tools, and are an important first step towards developing propulsive devices that will give the next generation of UUVs the ability to produce and control thrust like highly maneuverable fish.     

Dynamic modeling and motion simulation for a winged hybrid-driven underwater glider

PETREL,a winged hybrid-driven underwater glider is a novel and practical marine survey platform which combines the features of legacy underwater glider and conventional AUV (autonomous underwater vehicle).It can be treated as a multi-rigid-body system with a floating base and a particular hydrodynamic profile.In this paper,theorems on linear and angular momentum are used to establish the dynamic equations of motion of each rigid body and the effect of translational and rotational motion of internal masses on the attitude control are taken into consideration.In addition,due to the unique external shape with fixed wings and deflectable rudders and the dual-drive operation in thrust and glide modes,the approaches of building dynamic model of conventional AUV and hydrodynamic model of submarine are introduced,and the tailored dynamic equations of the hybrid glider are formulated.Moreover,the behaviors of motion in glide and thrust operation are analyzed based on the simulation and the feasibility of the dynamic model is validated by data from lake field trials.     

Performance analysis of podded propulsors

In this study, the flow around the pod unit is analysed and the performance characteristics of the propeller on the pod are investigated. The main objective of the present work is to further improve the original numerical method developed before for the prediction of performance of podded propellers and to further validate the earlier developed numerical model with a specific emphasis on the hydrodynamic interaction amongst the propulsor components. While in the earlier numerical method, the axial induced velocities by pod and strut parts were included into the calculations on the propeller disc plane, in the present method the tangential induced velocities on the propeller disc plane are included in the calculations as well. The flow domain around the podded propeller is mainly divided into three parts; the axisymmetric pod part, the strut part and the propeller part. While the pod and strut parts are modelled by a low-order boundary element method (BEM), the propeller is represented by a vortex lattice method (VLM). Coupling of the BEM and the VLM is carried out in an iterative manner to incorporate the effect of the pod on the propeller, and vice versa. The present numerical method is applied to two different podded propellers with zero yaw angles in order to compare the results with those of experimental measurements. The present numerical method is also validated in the case of 15° of yaw angle for a podded propulsor. The effect of pod and strut on the propeller and vice versa are discussed.     

南沙海槽南缘逆掩推复构造地区的动力学分析

提出南沙海槽南缘推复构造的运动和形变是一种周期性的弹塑性运动,周期约为14Ma.建立推复楔形体的动力学模型及两个约束条件,求解得推复楔形体的底部中点的推复方向的主应力和逆掩面动摩擦系数的解析式.建立推复楔形体前缘地层被推复剪断的力学模型、密度模型和内摩擦角模型,求得推复前缘地层被推复剪断时的有效主应力、静岩压应力、推复方向的主应力及其合力和推复构造应力的解析式,建立推复底部的有效塑性屈服模型,求得推复底部屈服时中点的有效主应力和推复方向的主应力的解析式.选择两个剖面进行动力学计算,得到推复楔形体前缘的两个应力图、逆掩面的动摩擦系数及推复方向的主应力的合力.     

水下机器人推力器布置及控制仿真研究

针对自治水下机器人(Autonomous underwater vehicle,AUV)推力器布置和控制仿真的困难性及以往电机仿真难以进行的缺点,提出1种进行多推力器运动仿真的方法,该方法建立的模型克服了推力器推力控制系统不能与电机结合的问题,能较好地反映推力器布置和电机的响应情况,可为AUV的运动控制、布置设计及控制系统开发等提供验证模型.针对流线型AUV CRanger-2的推力器布置情况,在对其建立推力器模型的基础上,利用模型对设定推力下的推力器控制进行仿真.仿真结果表明:该方法能够有效地模拟推力器布置既定情况下的电机运动与推力控制,可为水下机器人控制策略优化提供仿真平台.     

半潜式平台动力定位系统控制力动态约束分配法

半潜式平台动力定位推力分配系统通过计算每个推力器的推力和推力角,将控制力分配到推力系统的各推力器上。基于系统耗能最小模式,根据推力器之间的损失模型,通过动态设置推力可行域,将推力分配问题转化为求解二次型优化模型。考虑推力器的物理性能,以推力变化率和转角变化速率为控制参数,利用序列二次规划法得到数值计算结果。该方法充分考虑推力器的物理性能,降低推力器的机械磨损,且可以避免处理可行域为非凸集问题,有效地提高推力器的推力效率。