The numerical research on cavitation performance of the composite propeller under uniform and non-uniform inflow

The inherent advantages of composite materials promote the design and application of composite propellers. However, the cavitation performance of composite propellers has not been comprehensively investigated. In this paper, CFD, FEM and geometric reconstruction method are combined to establish the numerical prediction method of cavitation performance of the composite propeller, under uniform and non-uniform inflow. The predicted cavitation patterns and hydrodynamic performance of the composite propeller are compared with those of the metal propeller, and the structural deformation of the composite propeller is analyzed. The research results indicate that the composite propeller has significant superiority in cavitation performance compared to the metal propeller, which is due to the structural deformation of the composite propeller caused by fluid-structure interaction.