D4.3.10: Report on Validation Studies for Hull Pressure Fluctuations and Cavitation Extents and Patterns by hybrid RANS/BEM model

This document is written in fulfilment of Deliverable D 4.3.10 of Work Package 4 The virtual cavitation laboratory of the EC-FP6 Project VIRTUE - The Virtual Tank Utility in Europe. The report describes part of the activity performed in Task 4.3.4 aiming to develop a computational model to predict radiated noise and pressure fluctuations induced by non-cavitating and cavitating propellers operating in behind ship conditions. Two computational methodologies based on (i) an inviscid-flow BEM model and (ii) a hybrid RANS/BEM model are addressed. In both approaches propeller flow calculations are performed through BEM. Pressure fluctuations and radiated noise are evaluated by means of hydroacoustic models that are suitable to be coupled with propeller hydrodynamics solvers by BEM. In the report, theoretical and computational methodologies are briefly reviewed. Numerical applications are presented to assess the capability of proposed formulations to evaluate radiated noise and pressure fluctuations induced by propellers operating in the hull wake under non cavitating and cavitating conditions