Design of composite marine propeller and the calculation of CFD/FEM

In this paper, we combine the computational fluid dynamics method based on RANS equations and finite element method in the design of composite marine propeller. The primary design is completed through computing the hydrodynamic performance, conducting the finite element model, designing stacking sequence, transferring the load, calculating the mechanic performance of structure, and checking in the convergence in turn. A predeformation method is presented for improving the combination performance of composite propeller. The results show that the designed propeller can meet the hydrodynamic demand of the propeller made of metal, at the same time, reduce the weight by 30% and improve the efficiency.